Bill > S1239

This bill proposes to transfer Bridgewater State Hospital from the Department of Corrections to the Department of Mental Health. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Transferring the responsibility for the operation and oversight of Bridgewater State Hospital to the Commissioner of Mental Health, who will provide medical and mental health treatment for all individuals sent to the facility in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Department of Mental Health. 2. Establishing a Division of Forensic Mental Health Services within the Department of Mental Health to provide various forensic services, such as court-ordered evaluations, competence restoration programs, and risk assessment evaluations. 3. Removing references to the "medical director" of Bridgewater State Hospital from various sections of Chapter 123 of the General Laws, which deals with mental health commitments and treatment. 4. Specifying that the Commissioner of Mental Health or the superintendent of a facility can petition the court for the commitment of a male patient to Bridgewater State Hospital when it is determined that the failure to hospitalize the patient in strict security would create a likelihood of serious harm due to mental illness. 5. Requiring the Commissioner of Mental Health to approve and execute the transfer of a patient from Bridgewater State Hospital to another designated facility within 30 days of receiving a request from the superintendent. The bill aims to transition the management and oversight of Bridgewater State Hospital from the Department of Corrections to the Department of Mental Health, with the goal of improving the mental health treatment and services provided to the individuals housed at the facility.