<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="7.5-210" 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>“Eligible individual” means:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A service member;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A veteran;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The spouse of a service member or veteran;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>A child of a service member or veteran; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>A stepchild of a service member or veteran.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Program” means the Sheila E. Hixson Behavioral Health Services Matching Grant Program for Service Members and Veterans.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>There is a Sheila E. Hixson Behavioral Health Services Matching Grant Program for Service Members and Veterans.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The purpose of the Program is to provide funds to local nonprofit organizations to establish and expand community behavioral health programs to serve service members, veterans, and their families.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Department shall administer the Program.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Program shall award competitive matching grants to local nonprofit organizations to establish and expand community behavioral health programs that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Serve the behavioral health needs of eligible individuals in the locality served by the nonprofit organization;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Meet national standards;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Integrate the delivery of mental health and substance use treatment; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Connect eligible individuals to appropriate community–based care in a timely manner on discharge from the community behavioral health program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>To be eligible for a grant from the Program, a nonprofit organization must have a mission to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Provide behavioral health services; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Provide services to active service members, veterans, or their families.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An eligible nonprofit organization shall secure contributions for the proposal in an amount of money or other consideration at least equal in value to the amount of money requested from the Program.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>In awarding matching grants under the Program, the Department shall develop selection criteria for evaluating applicant proposals.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The selection criteria developed under this paragraph shall include positive scoring for proposals that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Demonstrate fiscal controls, including by making use of multiple sources of funding;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Evidence project effectiveness, including by showing how the grant awarded by the Program will be used to augment existing services to create seamless behavioral health treatment;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Show an applicant’s previous successful experience administering grants; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Meet any other criteria the Department considers relevant.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>In awarding matching grants under this section, the Department shall give priority to proposals that best meet the selection criteria regardless of the projected cost.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The Department shall establish application procedures that implement the requirements of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Department shall establish a statewide system of outcome measurement to assess the effectiveness and adequacy of services provided by each nonprofit organization receiving a matching grant under the Program.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A nonprofit organization receiving a matching grant under the Program shall submit any information that the Department determines is necessary for the statewide system of outcome measurement.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The Department shall establish:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Guidelines that require nonprofit organizations that receive a matching grant under the Program to bill third–party insurers and, when appropriate, the Maryland Medical Assistance Program; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any other procedures necessary to carry out this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>Beginning in fiscal year 2022, and each fiscal year thereafter, the Governor may include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $2,500,000 for the Program.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>On or before December 1 each year, beginning in 2023, the Department shall submit to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly a report that includes, for the most recently 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 the services provided through grant funding; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Outcome data reported under the statewide system of measurement required under subsection (f) of this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
