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2019 Session

Budget Amendments - HB1700 (Conference Report)

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DBHDS - Behavioral Health Services Realignment (language only)

Item 310 #1c

Item 310 #1c

Health and Human Resources
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services

Language

Page 356, after line 19, insert:

"Z. Upon approval by the 2020 General Assembly, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall have the authority to promulgate regulations to:  (i) ensure that licensing regulations support high quality community-based mental health services and align with changes being made to the Medicaid behavioral health regulations that support evidence-based, trauma-informed, prevention-focused and cost-effective services for individuals served across the lifespan; and (ii) incorporate the American Society of Addiction Medicine Levels of Care Criteria or an equivalent set of criteria into substance use licensing regulations to ensure the provision of outcome-oriented and strengths-based care in the treatment of addiction."



Explanation

(This amendment adds language authorizing the promulgation of licensing regulations by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, upon approval of the 2020 General Assembly, to support the realignment of behavioral health services to ensure the licensing system supports evidence-based, trauma-information, prevention-focused and cost-effective services for individuals served across the lifespan. These actions will support those being undertaken to realign behavioral health services funded through the Virginia Medicaid program and contained in a companion amendment in Item 303. This is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee Studying Mental Health Services in the Commonwealth in the 21st Century.)