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2016 Session

Budget Amendments - HB30 (Conference Report)

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MH Pilot Program Review

Item 398 #3c

Item 398 #3c

First Year - FY2017 Second Year - FY2018
Public Safety and Homeland Security
Department of Criminal Justice Services FY2017 ($1,500,000) FY2018 $0 GF

Language
Page 337, line 9, strike "$80,006,361" and insert "$78,506,361".

Page 340, strike lines 5 through 30 and insert:

“J. 1. The Department of Criminal Justice Services shall solicit proposals from local or regional jails to establish pilot programs to provide services to mentally ill inmates, or to provide pre-incarceration crisis intervention services to prevent mentally ill offenders from entering jails. The Department of Criminal Justice Services shall evaluate the proposals in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Compensation Board, and shall report a list of up to six recommended pilot sites to the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees no later than September 15, 2016.

2. In its solicitation for proposals, the Department of Criminal Justice Services shall require submissions to include proposed actions to address the following minimum conditions and criteria:

a. Use of mental health screening and assessment instruments designated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services;

b. Provision of services to all mentally ill inmates in the designated pilot program, whether state or local responsible;

c. Use of a collaborative partnership among local agencies and officials, including community services boards, local community corrections and pre-trial services agencies, local law enforcement agencies, attorneys for the Commonwealth, public defenders, courts, non-profit organizations, and other stakeholders;

d. Establishment of a crisis intervention team or plans to establish such a team;

e. Training for jail staff in dealing with mentally ill inmates;

f. Provision of a continuum of services;

g. Use of evidence-based programs and services; and,

h. Funding necessary to provide services including, but not limited to: mental health treatment services, behavioral health services, case managers to provide discharge planning for individuals, re-entry services, and transportation services.

3. The funding for each pilot program shall shall supplement, not supplant, existing local spending on these services.

4. In evaluating proposals and recommending pilot sites, the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Compensation Board, shall at minimum give consideration to the following factors:

a. The readiness of the local or regional jail to undertake the proposed pilot program;

b. The proposed shares of cost to be funded by the Commonwealth, localities, or other sources, respectively;

c. The need for such a program demonstrated by the local or regional jail;

d. The demonstrated collaborative relationship between the jail and community mental health treatment providers and other stakeholders; and,

e. To the extent feasible, ensuring the recommendation of pilot sites representing both rural and urban settings.

5. Included in the appropriation for this Item is $1,000,000 the first year and $2,500,000 the second year from the general fund to be awarded to local or regional jails to support the proposals recommended pursuant to the report required by Paragraph J.1. of this Item.  The funding for each pilot program shall be effective  for pilot programs starting as of January 1, 2017.”

Page 340, line 31, strike "4." and insert "6."



Explanation

(This amendment adjusts the funding in the first year for a pilot program for up to six local or regional jails to provide services to offenders in jail who are mentally ill or to divert those offenders from jail. With this adjustment, the amendment provides $1,000,000 the first year and $2,500,000 the second year from the general fund for the pilot programs. This amendment also clarifies the criteria for selecting the pilot sites and requires a report on the recommended pilot sites.)