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2018 Special Session I

Budget Amendments - HB5002 (Senate Committee Approved)

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Alternative Transportation for TDOs

Item 311 #1s

Item 311 #1s

First Year - FY2019 Second Year - FY2020
Health and Human Resources
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services FY2019 $2,500,000 FY2020 $4,500,000 GF

Language
Page 288, line 27, strike "$10,460,077" and insert "$12,960,077".
Page 288, line 27, strike "$12,010,077" and insert "$16,510,077".

Page 288, after line 53, insert:

"E. Out of this appropriation, $2,500,000 the first year and $4,500,000 the second year from the general fund shall be provided to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to provide alternative transportation for adults and children under a temporary detention order. The department shall structure the contract to phase in the program over a three year period such that in year three the contract will result in the provision of services statewide.  The department shall report on the disbursement of the funds to the Governor and Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees no later than November 1, 2018. Annually, thereafter on October 1, the department shall report to the Governor and Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees on the effectiveness and outcomes of the program funding."



Explanation

(This amendment provides $2.5 million the first year and $4.5 million the second year from the general fund for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) to implement an alternative transportation system for adults and children under a temporary detention order. State law requires a magistrate issuing an emergency custody order (ECO) or temporary detention order (TDO) to specify a law enforcement agency that will provide transportation of a person to the location for evaluation or temporary detention. The law allows the magistrate to consider transportation other than by law enforcement if identified by the community services board (CSB) evaluator. The alternative transportation can be provided by a family member or friend of the individual, a representative of the CSB, or an alternative provider trained to safely provide transportation. DBHDS implemented a pilot program in 2015 in Southwest Virginia that provided transportation by an alternative provider for individuals under a temporary detention order. The pilot program demonstrated that individuals transported by the alternative provider safely arrived at their destination without incident. This amendment would implement a regionally based transportation service within each of the five primary DBHDS regions with state oversight and certification of providers. This is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee to Study Mental Health Services in the Commonwealth in the 21st Century.)