SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

(a) The department shall ensure the development of programs and the expansion of services at the community level for children with mental illness, or with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and an intellectual disability, and for their families. The department shall: (1) prepare and review budgets for services for children; (2) develop departmental policies relating to children's programs and service delivery; and (3) increase interagency coordination activities to enhance the provision of services for children. (b) The department shall designate an employee authorized in the department's schedule of exempt positions to be responsible for planning and coordinating services and programs for children and youth. The employee shall perform budget and policy review and provide interagency coordination of services for children and youth. (c) The department shall designate an employee as a youth suicide prevention officer. The officer shall serve as a liaison to the Texas Education Agency and public schools on matters relating to the prevention of and response to suicide or attempted suicide by public school students. (d) The department and the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services shall: (1) jointly develop: (A) a continuum of care for children younger than seven years of age who have mental illness; and (B) a plan to increase the expertise of the department's service providers in mental health issues involving children younger than seven years of age; and (2) coordinate, if practicable, the departments' activities and services involving children with mental illness and their families.