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An Act To Create Mental Health Liaison Positions in Each County Jail
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  34-B MRSA §1226  is enacted to read:
§ 1226. County or regional jail mental health liaisons
 
1.  Definitions.     As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
 
A.  "Diversion plan" means a plan to reduce or eliminate the time a person with a serious mental illness is incarcerated by redirecting the person from the criminal justice system to community-based treatment and support.
 
B.  "Mental health liaison" means a person who coordinates and oversees mental health support and services for persons with serious mental illness in a county or regional jail.
 
C.  "Serious mental illness" means a mental illness, emotional impairment, substance use disorder or developmental or learning disability that adversely affects the daily functions of a person, as determined by a qualified mental health professional.
 
2.  Mental health liaisons.     The department shall contract with a private provider of behavioral health services and advocacy to place a mental health liaison in every county or regional jail under Title 30-A, chapter 13. The duties and responsibilities of a mental health liaison include:
 
A.  Overseeing of all persons detained at the jail who are evaluated for serious mental illness under section 1219, subsection 2, paragraph B including:
 
(1) Connecting a person with a serious mental illness to services provided at the county or regional jail;
 
(2) Developing a treatment plan for a person with a serious mental illness to be implemented upon the person's release; and
 
(3) For a person with a serious mental illness who is incarcerated on a Class D or Class E crime, developing a diversion plan.
 
B.  Identifying any person detained at the county or regional jail who may be eligible for services through MaineCare, completing an application for MaineCare coverage with that person and confirming activation of MaineCare benefits or the continuation of MaineCare benefits pursuant to Title 22, section 3174-CC prior to that person's release from the county or regional jail; and
 
C.  Working with the court system to ensure that all persons detained at the jail identified as having a serious mental illness under section 1219, subsection 2, paragraph B are provided due process and a speedy trial.
Sec. 2. Department of Health and Human Services to replace intensive case manager positions with privately contracted mental health liaisons. The Department of Health and Human Services shall issue a request for proposals for a private provider of behavioral health services and advocacy to replace intensive case manager positions within the department with 15 mental health liaisons under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 34-B, section 1226 to provide one mental health liaison for each county or regional jail.
 
SUMMARY
This bill provides for a mental health liaison in each county or regional jail to oversee inmates with serious mental illness and connect them to the services for which they qualify, to work with the court system to ensure that they receive due process and speedy trials and to assist inmates who qualify for MaineCare to apply for and receive MaineCare benefits and services. This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to issue a request for proposals to private providers of behavioral health services and advocacy to replace intensive case manager positions within the department to staff the 15 mental health liaison positions in the county and regional jails.