(a) There is a County Mental Health Advisory Committee. (b) The Committee has 19 voting members and at least 3 nonvoting ex officio members. (1) The voting members are: (A) 7 individuals selected from or representing: (i) the County Executive; (ii) the County Council; (iii) the County public schools; (iv) the practicing physicians in the County; (v) mental health professionals in the County who are not physicians; (vi) the clergy in the County; (vii) the legal profession in the County; (viii) a local law enforcement agency; (ix) a local general hospital that contains an inpatient psychiatric unit; (x) the Area Agency on Aging; (xi) the Department of Juvenile Services; (xii) the Department of Health and Human Services; and (xiii) a local community rehabilitation or housing program; (B) 4 individuals who are currently receiving or have in the past received mental health services; (C) 3 parents or other relatives of adults with mental disorders; (D) 3 parents or other relatives of children or adolescents with emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders, the onset of which occurred during childhood or adolescence; (E) a representative from the local mental health association; and (F) a member of the general public. (2) The ex officio, nonvoting members are the following individuals or their designees: (A) the State Mental Hygiene Administration Regional Mental Health Director who serves the County; (B) a representative of a State inpatient facility that serves the County; (C) Director of the County Department of Health and Human Services; and (D) if there are designated State inpatient beds located in County general hospitals, a representative from those facilities. (c) A committee member must not receive direct or indirect monetary benefits from State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene grants or contracts, except local general hospitals that contain a clinic or State designated inpatient beds, a local community rehabilitation or housing program, and the representative from the County mental health association. In this Section, monetary benefits do not include reimbursement for ordinary expenses, such as travel, or compensation received by a government employee. (d) Each member is appointed for a 3-year term. A member appointed to complete an unexpired term serves until a successor is appointed and qualifies. The Executive appoints voting members subject to confirmation by the Council. The State Director of Mental Hygiene appoints the representative of the State inpatient facility under State law. A voting member who has served 2 consecutive full terms must not be reappointed for 2 years after completing those terms.

(a) The members elect the officers of the Committee annually. The Chair of the Committee may not be the same person for more than 2 consecutive years. (b) The Committee may create subcommittees. A subcommittee may include persons who are not members of the Committee. However, the Chair of the subcommittee must be a member of the Committee.

(a) The Committee meets in public session on call by the Chair as often as required to perform its duties. The Committee must meet at least 6 times each year. A regular or special meeting of the Committee must also be convened at the request of two-thirds of the voting members of the Committee. The Chair must give reasonable advance notice of all meetings to members of the Committee and the general public. (b) A majority of the voting members of the Committee is a quorum to transact business. (c) The Committee may adopt bylaws to govern its activities.

The duties of the Mental Health Advisory Committee are: (a) monitor, review, and evaluate the allocation and adequacy of publicly-funded mental health services within the County through means such as conducting or participating in site visits; (b) determine the needs of the County mental health system, including quality of services, gaps in the system, and interagency coordination; (c) participate in the development of the local mental health plan and local mental health budget; (d) prepare an annual report which must include: (1) a description of the progress of the County mental health system; (2) recommendations on actions needed to improve the system; (3) recommendations on priorities for allocation of funds; and (4) recommendations on appropriate allocation of funds consistent with established priorities and available funds; (e) disseminate the annual report to the: (1) Director of the Department of Health and Human Services; (2) County Council; (3) County Executive; (4) State Mental Hygiene Administration’s Regional Mental Health Director; (5) Director of Mental Hygiene Administration; (6) Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; and (7) Maryland Advisory Council on Mental Hygiene; and (f) review and comment on the annual mental health plan and preliminary budget for the State mental health grant to the County; and (g) review and comment on the annual budget for mental health services of the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Committee must not engage in any advocacy activity at the State or federal levels unless that activity is approved by the Office of Intergovernmental Relations.

The Department of Health and Human Services provides staff support to the Committee.