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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="7.5-208" title_number="7.5" title_name="Behavioral Health Administration" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Behavioral Health Administration">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Mobile crisis team” has the meaning stated in § 10–1401 of this article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Program” means the Behavioral Health Crisis Response Grant Program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>There is a Behavioral Health Crisis Response Grant Program in the Department.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The purpose of the Program is to provide funds to local jurisdictions to establish and expand community behavioral health crisis response systems.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Department shall administer the Program.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Program shall award competitive grants to local behavioral health authorities to establish and expand behavioral health crisis response programs and services that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Serve local behavioral health needs for children, adults, and older adults;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Meet national standards;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Integrate the delivery of mental health and substance use treatment; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Connect individuals to appropriate community–based care in a timely manner on discharge.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Funds distributed to a local behavioral health authority under the Program:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>May be used to establish or expand behavioral health crisis response programs and services, such as:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Mobile crisis teams;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>On–demand walk–in services;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Crisis residential beds; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Other behavioral health crisis programs and services that the Department considers eligible for Program funds; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, any other funding for behavioral health crisis response programs and services.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>A local behavioral health authority may submit a proposal requesting Program funding to the Department.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>In awarding grants under this section, the Department shall prioritize proposals that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Make use of more than one funding source;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Demonstrate efficiency in service delivery through regionalization, integration of the behavioral health crisis program or service with existing public safety and emergency resources, and other strategies to achieve economies of scale;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Serve all members of the immediate community with cultural competency and appropriate language access;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Commit to gathering feedback from the community on an ongoing basis and improving service delivery continually based on this feedback;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Demonstrate strong partnerships with community services that include family member and consumer advocacy organizations and regional stakeholders;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>Evidence a plan of linking individuals in crisis to peer support and family support services after stabilization; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>Evidence a strong plan for integration into the existing behavioral health system of care and supports to provide seamless aftercare.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>In awarding grants under this section, the Department shall require that proposals contain response standards that prioritize mobile crisis units over law enforcement when responding to individuals in crisis.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>For each service or program that receives funding under the Program, a local behavioral health authority shall report to the Department and make available to the public all:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Outcome measurement data required by the Department; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Public feedback received from the community through a combination of surveys, public comments, town hall meetings, and other methods.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>The Department shall establish:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Application procedures;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A statewide system of outcome measurement to:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Assess the effectiveness and adequacy of behavioral health crisis response services and programs; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Produce data that shall be:</text>
        </level>
        <level label="A">
          <text>Collected, analyzed, and publicly reported back at least annually; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>Disaggregated by race, gender, age, and zip code;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Guidelines that require programs to bill third–party insurers and, when appropriate, the Maryland Medical Assistance Program; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Any other procedures or criteria necessary to carry out this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Governor shall include in the annual operating budget bill the following amounts for the Program:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>$3,000,000 for fiscal year 2020;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>$4,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2029.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>Beginning in fiscal year 2023, at least one–third of the appropriation required under subsection (e) of this section shall be used to award competitive grants for mobile crisis teams.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>On or before December 1 each year beginning in 2020, the Department shall submit to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, to the General Assembly a report that includes, for the most recent closed fiscal year:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The number of grants distributed;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Funds distributed by county;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Information about grant recipients and programs and services provided; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Outcome data reported under the statewide system of measurement required in subsection (d)(7)(ii) of this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
