Bill > S3097

This bill aims to address barriers to care for mental health. Key provisions include: - Expanding the responsibilities and authority of the Commission on Community Behavioral Health Promotion to facilitate the development of initiatives to promote behavioral health and wellness, address social determinants of health, and strengthen community and state-level programming. - Establishing an Office of Behavioral Health Promotion to coordinate and facilitate state efforts to promote behavioral health and wellness, including collaborating with other state agencies and developing plans and initiatives. - Creating an online portal to track real-time data on children and adolescents awaiting behavioral health services, and requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to facilitate coordination of services and placements. - Establishing an Interagency Review Team to collaborate on complex cases where there is a lack of consensus between state agencies about service needs or placement of individuals under 22 with disabilities or complex behavioral health needs. - Expanding the role and authority of the 988 crisis hotline system, including designating at least one 988 crisis hotline center and establishing a state 988 commission to provide strategic oversight. - Requiring school districts to have written emergency response plans that address both medical and behavioral health crises, and developing a model plan that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must review and update. - Expanding insurance coverage requirements for various mental health and substance use services, including acute treatment, community-based acute treatment, intensive community-based acute treatment, the psychiatric collaborative care model, and annual mental health wellness exams. - Strengthening parity enforcement, including enhanced reporting requirements for carriers and increased oversight and enforcement by the Division of Insurance.

Senate Committee on Ways and Means (S)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S3097