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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="13-2702" title_number="13" title_name="Miscellaneous Health Care Programs" subtitle_number="27" subtitle_name="Behavioral Health Services for Maryland Veterans">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Subject to the limitations of its budget, the Department:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>In collaboration with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families, the Maryland National Guard, and the Maryland Defense Force, shall provide behavioral health service coordination for eligible veterans in all geographic regions of the State to connect them to behavioral health services, including mental health first aid described under § 13–2703(b) of this subtitle, which may be available through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Where behavioral health services are not yet available or accessible through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, shall provide service coordination for eligible veterans in all geographic regions of the State to connect them to behavioral health services, including mental health first aid described under § 13–2703(b) of this subtitle, which may be available through the Behavioral Health Administration, until such federal services can be accessed and obtained; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Shall provide behavioral health services through the Behavioral Health Administration based on eligibility and medical necessity criteria established by these administrations; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Shall provide eligible veterans up–to–date information about behavioral health services and resources through a web–based resource program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Subject to the limitations of its budget and in addition to the service coordination provided under subsection (a) of this section, the Department shall provide or fund certain behavioral health services for eligible veterans who:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Meet the eligibility and medical necessity criteria of the Behavioral Health Administration; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Cannot obtain immediate access to behavioral health services through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The behavioral health services provided under subsection (b) of this section may include:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Crisis services in all geographic regions of the State; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Short–term behavioral health services, where existing federal and State behavioral health services are determined by the Department to be inadequate or inaccessible.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The short–term behavioral health services provided under paragraph (1)(ii) of this subsection:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Shall be available only until an eligible veteran is able to access and obtain adequate behavioral health services through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>May include:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Screening assessments;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Individual, family, and group therapy;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Substance abuse early intervention and detoxification services; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Substance abuse medication–assisted treatment.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Department shall seek reimbursement from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or other responsible public or private payer for any behavioral health services provided under subsection (b) of this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Department shall account separately for funds used to provide behavioral health services to eligible veterans under subsection (b) of this section.</text>
  </level>
</section>
