Legislation

§ 36.07 Behavioral health crisis technical assistance center.

(a) The commissioner, in conjunction with the commissioner of the
office of addiction services and supports, shall establish a behavioral
health crisis technical assistance center within the office of mental
health. The commissioners shall jointly be responsible for the
structure and operation of the behavioral health crisis technical
assistance center.

(b) The behavioral health crisis technical assistance center, shall:

1. develop standardized protocols and procedures for a community-based
public health-led response to behavioral health crises. The protocols
and procedures shall be designed to:

(i) de-escalate situations involving individuals experiencing a mental
health or substance use crisis, when possible;

(ii) utilize the most appropriate treatment for individuals
experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis;

(iii) maximize the use of voluntary assessment and voluntary referral
of individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis;

(iv) minimize physical harm and trauma for individuals who experience
a mental health or substance use crisis; and

(v) deliver culturally competent care;

2. assist local government units in the development of local service
plans that address their local crisis service needs and implements a
community-based public health-led crisis response. Such assistance shall
include tailoring such plans to meet the needs of urban, suburban, and
rural communities;

3. support implementation of standardized procedures and protocols;

4. in collaboration with the division of homeland security and
emergency services and the state emergency medical services council,
pursue efforts to improve coordination between the 9-1-1, 9-8-8, local
government units, and statewide emergency response systems;

5. provide consultation and training to local government units and
local crisis response teams on best practices on the assessment and
response to mental health and substance use crises; and

6. maintain a database of best practices for a community-based public
health-led response to behavioral health crises.

(c) In execution of its duties under this section, the technical
assistance center shall employ a peer or peers with lived experience and
shall consult with, as appropriate: peers with lived experience of
mental illness or substance use disorders, or family of such peers
and/or peer-led organizations; licensed mental health or addiction
clinicians; licensed mental health or addiction counselors; licensed
physicians, nurses, or mental health or addiction providers; mental
health or addiction counselors; representatives of not-for-profit
disability justice organizations; emergency medical technicians; and
crisis health care workers.

(d) 1. The center shall prepare an annual report which shall include,
but not be limited to, the following information:

(i) data on the extent to which local governmental units have
implemented community-based public health-led responses to behavioral
health crises and the effectiveness of such efforts;

(ii) a summary of any assistance provided, action taken, or progress
made in relation to the duties required under this section;

(iii) recommendations to improve the operation and financing of a
behavioral health crisis response system; and

(iv) any other information deemed relevant by the center.

2. Such report shall be submitted to the governor, speaker of the
assembly and temporary president of the senate no later than December
thirty-first, two thousand twenty-seven and annually thereafter and
shall be made available on the official agency website for the office of
mental health and the office of addiction services and supports.