Bill > H2461

This bill aims to enhance 911 operations for behavioral health crisis response. It does this by: 1) Adding the Commissioner of Mental Health to the State 911 Commission, which oversees the state's 911 system. 2) Expanding the membership of the State 911 Commission to include representatives from the Association for Behavioral Healthcare, an individual with lived experience of behavioral health conditions and interactions with police, and a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union Massachusetts. 3) Requiring the State 911 Department to update its training standards for 911 telecommunicators to include Crisis Intervention Training and protocols for diverting people with behavioral health conditions away from a law enforcement response. 4) Allowing the State 911 Department to increase funding allocations to 911 call centers that dispatch behavioral health crisis response services, in addition to police, fire, and emergency medical services. 5) Establishing a new "behavioral health crisis response incentive grant" to help 911 call centers integrate behavioral health crisis response capabilities into their operations, including warm handoffs to mental health professionals and coordination with services like 988 and co-responder programs. 6) Requiring 911 call centers to have systems in place to process emergency requests from people with mental health and substance use conditions.

Health and Social Services, Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H2461