Sec. 2. Stakeholders' group. Resolved: That the Department of Human Services and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services shall convene a mid-state Region 2 stakeholders' group to assist in the planning, development, operation and evaluation of the project. "Stakeholders' group" means a group composed of governmental agencies, regional children's cabinets, nonprofit organizations and Legislators and other governmental officials and education officials and other organizations and individuals who have an interest in unaccompanied youths and at-risk youths; and be it further

Sec. 3. Location of project sites. Resolved: That the Department of Human Services and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services with the assistance of the stakeholders' group shall select project sites in which to conduct the project; and be it further

Sec. 4. Purpose. Resolved: That the project shall plan, develop and deliver services at the project sites that address the issues and needs of unaccompanied youths and at-risk youths. These services must be innovative, creative, collaborative and youth-driven and take a nontraditional approach to providing youth services. The project shall develop services that:

1. Expand and strengthen traditional approaches that provide low-barrier access for homeless and runaway youths to basic services such as meals, clothes, health care and emergency night shelter;

2. Provide casework on site where the youths are located to ensure that the youths have ready access to the full range of services available that allow them to achieve stability in their lives;

3. Increase housing for youths who are 14 years of age to 17 years of age by providing a low-barrier transitional home that offers a broad array of services that are needed by the youths;

4. Expand educational programs for homeless youths, with particular attention to youths in middle school, and increase educational services that are coupled with vocational training; and

5. Develop and implement an evaluation mechanism that ensures the potential to replicate the project in other sites.

The project shall also review whether the Department of Human Services and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services should each have a bureau for adolescents that delivers services to youths who are 14 years of age to 21 years of age; and be it further

Sec. 5. Evaluation and report. Resolved: That, after review by the regional children's cabinets and consideration of the recommendations made by those bodies, the Department of Human Services shall submit an interim report to the Legislature by December 31, 2001 detailing the progress that the project has made. By December 31, 2002, after review by the regional children's cabinets and the Governor's children's cabinet and consideration of the recommendations made by those bodies, the stakeholders' group, with the assistance of the Department of Human Services and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, shall draft an evaluation of the activities at each project site, including what services or approaches have worked or have not worked. The evaluation must discuss areas in the development and delivery of youth services that need improvement along with any recommendations concerning the development or delivery of youth services by the Department of Human Services and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services. The project must collect and maintain information on the ages of the youth served, including as separate categories youth under 12 years of age and youth 12 to 14 years of age. The evaluation must provide information on the situations and needs of youths in different age groups. The evaluation must describe the development of a comprehensive community plan for providing residential, educational, health, career development and social services to homeless youth. The evaluation must also describe the measurable outcomes of the project at the site, including the services provided, the number of youths served and other statistics that the stakeholders' group determines are significant. The Department of Human Services shall report the evaluation and recommendations of the stakeholders' group to the Legislature by February 1, 2002. Following approval of the community plan by the Commissioner of Human Services and the Commissioner of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, the Department of Human Services shall proceed to implement the community plan; and be it further

Sec. 6. Funding. Resolved: That funding for the project must be spent equally among the project sites; and be it further

Sec. 7. Appropriation. Resolved: That the following funds are appropriated from the General Fund to carry out the purposes of this resolve.

2000-01

HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF

Homeless Youth Demonstration

Project

All Other $150,000

Provides funds to operate project sites that will deliver services to unaccompanied youths and at-risk youths.

Homeless Youth Demonstration

Project

Capital Expenditures 1,800,000

Provides $900,000 to Region 1 and $900,000 to Region 3 for capital costs as determined by the needs of each region.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES __________

TOTAL $1,950,000

MENTAL HEALTH, MENTAL RETARDATION

AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES,

DEPARTMENT OF

Homeless Youth Demonstration

Project

All Other $150,000

Provides funds to operate project sites that will deliver services to unaccompanied youths and at-risk youths.

DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH,

MENTAL RETARDATION AND SUBSTANCE

ABUSE SERVICES ________

TOTAL $150,000

__________

TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS $2,100,000

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this resolve takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This resolve has 3 separate components. The first component creates an additional Homeless Youth Demonstration Project, referred to in this summary as the "project," to operate sites at which the project will develop and deliver creative, innovative and collaborative nontraditional services to unaccompanied youths and at-risk youths. The project is administered jointly by the Department of Human Services and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services along with a stakeholders' group composed of interested organizations and individuals organized by the departments for both sites. The project is to report back to the Legislature with an evaluation including measurable outcomes and recommended implementing legislation by February 1, 2002. This resolve appropriates $300,000 to fund the project.

The other 2 components are continuations of ongoing, collaborative work created by the original demonstration projects in both Region 1 and Region 3. This bill supports efforts being made in each of those 2 regions to address the ongoing needs of homeless and at-risk youths.