Chapter 1.5. Comprehensive Perinatal Outreach Program of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 103. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 1.5.

There is established in the state department a comprehensive perinatal outreach program.

A county or city and county may contract with the state department to provide perinatal program coordination, patient advocacy, and expanded access services for low-income pregnant and postpartum women and women of childbearing age who are likely to become pregnant integrated with the county's perinatal program.

A county that contracts with the state department for the provision of public health services may contract with the state department for the services described in Section 104561.

A county contracting with the state department pursuant to this program shall supply, at a minimum, the following information:
  (a) The county's perinatal statistics.
  (b) A description of current outreach, coordination, antismoking, antialcohol, antidrug, and other related program activities, including those funded through the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Surtax Fund, relating to indigent pregnant women and women of childbearing age in the county.
  (c) A description of the additional activities and services to be undertaken, and the number of women in each target subgroup which the county proposes to reach with these funds.
  (d) The proposed measures of success and a description of how the county's overall effort, and this particular effort, will be evaluated.

A county participating in this program shall maintain the following services, supported by this program or from other sources, to the extent funds are available:
  (a) A coordinated and integrated system providing early outreach, pregnancy screening, patient advocacy, targeted case management, health education, and referral to drug and alcohol treatment and perinatal care services to pregnant women.
  (b) (1) A patient advocacy and education component that will reach women from all target populations at least six months prior to, and in the earliest stages of pregnancy, and provide information, health screenings, and assistance in obtaining appropriate services.
  (2) Patient advocates may arrange for prenatal care for eligible pregnant women.
  (c) In developing and implementing the program described in this section each county shall obtain the involvement and participation of local community organizations, including clinics and schools with special expertise in the provision of health education, perinatal care, and alcohol and drug treatment.

(a) Health education services shall be an integral part of each county's program pursuant to Section 104564 to provide coordinated services to pregnant and postpartum women.
  (b) Services may be funded through the Unallocated Account in the Cigarette and Tobacco Surtax Fund for purposes of this chapter, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
  (1) Outreach.
  (2) Assessment of smoking status and exposure to secondhand smoke.
  (3) Development and implementation of an individualized strategy to prevent smoking and exposure to smoke during pregnancy and the postpartum period, including counseling and advocacy services, public health nursing services, provision of motivational messages, cessation services, nonmonetary incentives to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and other cessation or tobacco use prevention activities, including child care or transportation in conjunction with those activities.
  (4) Provision of followup, reassessment, maintenance, and relapse prevention services.
  (c) The services provided pursuant to this section shall expand and enhance the health education services provided under the comprehensive perinatal services program and shall be coordinated with other services provided to pregnant and postpartum women.

Funds from the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Surtax Fund may be used in combination with funds from other sources if the services provided to each person are documented and there is an auditable connection to services.

The program shall develop protocols, procedures, instructional materials, inservice training, data collection formats and requirements, and reimbursement schedules where applicable for the provision of tobacco education to pregnant and postpartum women.

For purposes of this chapter, "outreach" includes, but is not limited to, coordinated local systems of care-providing pregnancy testing, screening for risk factors, care coordination, referral to appropriate services, including, but not limited to, alcohol and drug treatment, transportation, child care, patient incentives, and assurance of continuous prenatal care including recruitment and retention of physicians.

Funds appropriated for purposes of this program for a fiscal year shall be available for expenditure without regard to fiscal year.