Menu
2019 Session

Budget Amendments - HB1700 (Conference Report)

View Budget Item
View Budget Item amendments

Workgroup and Plan for Relieving Census Pressure and Right Sizing the State Behavioral Health Hospital System (language only)

Item 310 #4c

Item 310 #4c

Health and Human Resources
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services

Language

Page 356, after line 19, insert:

"Z.1.  The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall establish a workgroup, which shall include the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, other state agencies, and other stakeholders as deemed necessary by the department, to examine the impact of Temporary Detention Order admissions on the state behavioral health hospitals.  The workgroup shall develop options to relieve the census pressure on state behavioral health hospitals, which shall include options for diverting more admissions to private hospitals and other opportunities to increase community services that may reduce the number of Temporary Detention Orders.  The workgroup shall develop an action plan, that includes actions that can be implemented immediately and other actions that may require action by the 2020 General Assembly.  The action plan shall take into account the need to take short-term actions to relieve the census pressure on state behavioral health hospitals in order to develop a plan for the right sizing of the state behavioral health hospital system.

2.  In conjunction with the workgroup in paragraph Z.1., the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall develop a conceptual plan to "right size" the state behavioral health hospital system, including future capacity and distribution of capacity, that aligns with the action plan that is recommended by the workgroup.  The department shall submit the plan to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees by November 1, 2019.

3. As part of the plan in paragraph Z.2., the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall include a proposal for construction of a new Central State Hospital.  The plan shall establish the scope of the new hospital within a "right sized" system and the appropriate timeline to coincide with efforts to relieve census pressures on the state mental health hospital system."



Explanation

(This amendment directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) to establish a workgroup, which shall include the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association and other stakeholders to examine the impact of Temporary Detention Order admissions on the state behavioral health hospitals and develop options and an action plan to relieve census pressure. The action plan must also take into account the need to take short-term actions to relieve the census pressure on state behavioral health hospitals in order to develop a plan for the right sizing of the system. In addition, the amendment directs DBHDS to develop a proposal for Central State Hospital that fits within a "right sized" system.)