(a) Allocation for systems of integrated services for children

(1) In general

With respect to children with a serious emotional disturbance, a funding agreement for a grant under section 300x of this title is that—

(A) in the case of a grant for fiscal year 1993, the State involved will expend not less than 10 percent of the grant to increase (relative to fiscal year 1992) funding for the system of integrated services described in section 300x-1(b)(9) ¹ of this title;

(B) in the case of a grant for fiscal year 1994, the State will expend not less than 10 percent of the grant to increase (relative to fiscal year 1993) funding for such system; and

(C) in the case of a grant for any subsequent fiscal year, the State will expend for such system not less than an amount equal to the amount expended by the State for fiscal year 1994.

(2) Waiver

(A) Upon the request of a State, the Secretary may provide to the State a waiver of all or part of the requirement established in paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines that the State is providing an adequate level of comprehensive community mental health services for children with a serious emotional distrubance,² as indicated by a comparison of the number of such children for which such services are sought with the availability in the State of the services.

(B) The Secretary shall approve or deny a request for a waiver under subparagraph (A) not later than 120 days after the date on which the request is made.

(C) Any waiver provided by the Secretary under subparagraph (A) shall be applicable only to the fiscal year involved.

(b) Providers of services

A funding agreement for a grant under section 300x of this title for a State is that, with respect to the plan submitted under section 300x-1(a) of this title for the fiscal year involved—

(1) services under the plan will be provided only through appropriate, qualified community programs (which may include community mental health centers, child mental-health programs, psychosocial rehabilitation programs, mental health peer-support programs, and mental-health primary consumer-directed programs); and

(2) services under the plan will be provided through community mental health centers only if the centers meet the criteria specified in subsection (c).

(c) Criteria for mental health centers

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The criteria referred to in subsection (b)(2) regarding community mental health centers are as follows:

(1) With respect to mental health services, the centers provide services as follows:

(A) Services principally to individuals residing in a defined geographic area (hereafter in this subsection referred to as a “service area”).

(B) Outpatient services, including specialized outpatient services for children, the elderly, individuals with a serious mental illness, and residents of the service areas of the centers who have been discharged from inpatient treatment at a mental health facility.

(C) 24-hour-a-day emergency care services.

(D) Day treatment or other partial hospitalization services, or psychosocial rehabilitation services.

(E) Screening for patients being considered for admission to State mental health facilities to determine the appropriateness of such admission.

(2) The mental health services of the centers are provided, within the limits of the capacities of the centers, to any individual residing or employed in the service area of the center regardless of ability to pay for such services.

(3) The mental health services of the centers are available and accessible promptly, as appropriate and in a manner which preserves human dignity and assures continuity and high quality care.