(a) The State Department of Health Care Services shall develop a quality assurance program to govern the delivery of Medi-Cal specialty mental health services, in order to ensure quality patient care based on community standards of practice.
(b) The department shall issue standards and guidelines for local quality assurance activities. These standards and guidelines shall be reviewed and revised in consultation with the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California, as well as other stakeholders from the mental health community, including, but not limited to, individuals who receive services, family members, providers, mental health advocacy groups, and other interested parties. The standards and guidelines shall be based on federal Medicaid requirements.
(c) The standards and guidelines developed by the department shall reflect the special problems that small rural counties have in undertaking comprehensive quality assurance systems.