Section 553 - Residential drug and alcohol treatment programs for pregnant women and mothers and their dependent children (Adm. Code Section 2123)(a) The Department of Health shall have the power, and its duty shall be, to make grants or contracts to provide residential drug and alcohol treatment and related services for pregnant women, mothers and their dependent children and mothers who do not have custody of their children where there is a reasonable likelihood that the children will be returned to them if the mother participates satisfactorily in the treatment program. Grant or contract moneys shall only be used for treatment and related services provided to residents of this Commonwealth by drug and alcohol treatment programs licensed by the Department of Health which provide the following services: (1) Residential treatment services for women and their children, subject to reasonable limitations on the number and ages of the children, provided in a therapeutic community setting and including, but not limited to:(i) onsite addiction and substance abuse education, counseling and treatment;(ii) onsite individual, group and family counseling;(iii) onsite drug and alcohol prevention and education activities for children approved by the Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs of the Department of Health;(iv) onsite special counseling for children of alcoholics and addicts;(v) involvement with Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, support groups for children of alcoholics and addicts and other support groups; and(vi) activities which enhance self-esteem and self-sufficiency.(2) Onsite parenting skills counseling and training.(3) Access to school for children and mothers where appropriate, including, but not limited to, securing documents necessary for registration.(4) Job counseling and referral to existing job training programs.(5) Onsite day care for children when the mother is attending counseling, school or a job training program and when the mother is at a job or looking for a job and at other times as the department deems appropriate.(6) Referral and linkage to other needed services, including, but not limited to, health care.(7) Onsite structured reentry counseling and activities.(8) Referral to outpatient counseling upon discharge from the residential program.(b) The Department of Health shall inform the single county authorities of those programs in their jurisdiction being considered for funding to provide the services listed in this section and shall give the single county authorities an opportunity to comment on these funding proposals prior to the department making a decision to award funding.(c) The Department of Health shall require programs receiving funds under this section to collect and provide to the department information concerning the number of women and children denied treatment or placed on waiting lists and may require such data and other information as the department deems useful in determining the effectiveness of the treatment programs. Confidentiality of records regarding identifiable individuals enrolled in treatment programs funded under this section shall be maintained.(d) Contributions by counties or single county authorities shall not be required as a condition for receiving grants for programs funded under this section, but the Department of Health may require counties or single county authorities to make commitments to provide outpatient intervention, referral and aftercare services to women whose residential treatment is funded under this section upon completion of their residential treatment.(e) The Department of Health shall annually convene a meeting of all recipients of funds for programs funded under this section and other interested parties so that the department may receive input regarding ways to improve and expand treatment services and prevention activities for pregnant women, mothers and young children.(f) The Department of Health shall report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly as to its activities and expenditures under this section, the activities of recipients of funds under this section, the number of women and children served, the number of women and children denied treatment or placed on waiting lists, the recommendations in summary form made at the annual meeting provided for in subsection (e) and the recommendations of the department.(g) As used in this section and section 2124, the term "single county authority" means the agency designated to plan and coordinate drug and alcohol prevention, intervention and treatment services for a geographic area which may consist of one or more counties and to administer the provisions of such services funded through the agency.(h) As used in this section, the term "therapeutic community setting" means a drug-free, residential, nonhospital treatment program using therapeutic community principles as the underlying philosophy.1929, April 9, P.L. 177, No. 175, § 2123, added 1993, July 8, P.L. 451, No. 65, § 1, effective in 60 days.