Division 5. Organization Of County Health And Human Services of California Government Code >> Division 5. >> Title 3.

Notwithstanding Sections 24300 and 24304, the board of supervisors of any county may organize, pursuant to ordinance or charter, the delivery of health and human services for which county government is responsible under state law into departments that provide human assistance, human services, and medical systems. Any county board of supervisors which elects to so organize the delivery of health and human services may consolidate, integrate, and separate duties and functions of county offices, and organizational units within departments, to the extent deemed necessary by the board of supervisors, consistent with the provisions of this division.

All personnel, including the heads of units, within departments organized pursuant to this division and formed from units formerly within the county health, mental health, or welfare departments, shall possess the particular qualifications required by the Health and Safety Code or the Welfare and Institutions Code or the regulations enacted pursuant to either of those codes. The county health department itself or the health related functions of the departments organized pursuant to this division may be under the direction of the health officer, or the board of supervisors may appoint personnel who possess qualifications, including standards of education and experience to assure competence, appropriate for the direction of the health department or the local administration of county health functions. The board of supervisors shall ensure that the final determination regarding issues of professional nursing practice shall be made by a person who is licensed as a registered nurse and certified as a public health nurse.

If the county health department or the administration of county health functions are not under the direction of the health officer, the county board of supervisors shall ensure that the health officer has sufficient authority and resources and the organizational structure does not impede the health officer from carrying out the duties required under Section 100575 of, Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 101000) of Part 3 of Division 101 of, Article 1 (commencing with Section 101025) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 101 of, Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 123150) of Part 1 of Division 106 of, and Sections 123740 and 123745 of, the Health and Safety Code.

This chapter does not permit the occupant of a consolidated, integrated, or separated office to practice any profession or trade for the practice of which a license, permit, or registration is required without a license, permit, or registration.

This division shall not be construed to affect any other statutory or regulatory provision governing county health, mental health, or welfare programs, however reorganized or renamed, except for the organizational requirements specified in Sections 33200 to 33202, inclusive.

Nothing in this division is intended to change the fiscal and reimbursement provisions for subaccounts for mental health, health services, and social services enacted by Chapter 89 of the Statutes of 1991.