(a) The department, jointly with the State Department of Health Care Services, shall develop and administer a request for proposals process, and shall develop selection criteria, to determine which applicants shall be selected to participate in the pilot program. At a minimum, the selection criteria shall include both of the following requirements:

1. (1) A lead county applicant. To become a participating entity, each lead county applicant shall designate either the county child welfare department, the county behavioral health department, the county mental health plan, or the probation department to lead the application and implementation process.

2. (2) Submission of a Children’s Crisis Continuum Pilot Program plan by the applicant that includes, at a minimum, a plan to contract with community-based providers or entities to meet all of the following requirements:

   1. (A) A demonstrated ability to partner and collaborate across county child welfare, behavioral health, probation, developmental services, and education departments in the design, delivery, and evaluation of the pilot program.
   2. (B) A clear articulation of the funding streams and how they will be used and demonstration of the ability to maximize all sources of local, state, and federal funding.
   3. (C) An oversight plan, pursuant to guidance developed by the department, that includes utilization review controls to ensure appropriate usage of the continuum of care that serves children at all times in the least restrictive setting, in a manner that is consistent with applicable federal and state law and the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter.
   4. (D) A commitment to gathering and providing necessary youth-specific information and data, and information that may pertain to the overall pilot site, consistent with the evaluation criteria set forth in Section 16555 and any other outcomes reporting that the department may require.