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An Act To Create 4 Regional Mental Health Receiving Centers
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  34-B MRSA c. 3, sub-c. 3, art. 3  is enacted to read:
ARTICLE 3
CRISIS INTERVENTION CENTERS
§ 3631. Definitions
As used in this article, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
 
1.  Behavioral health professional.     "Behavioral health professional" means a physician licensed under Title 32, chapter 36 or 48; a physician assistant licensed under Title 32, chapter 36 or 48; a psychologist licensed under Title 32, chapter 56; a psychiatrist licensed under Title 32, chapter 36 or 48; a licensed clinical social worker licensed under Title 32, chapter 83; a licensed clinical professional counselor licensed under Title 32, chapter 119; or other mental health professional with training and experience in assessment of and intervention with persons with mental illness, substance use disorder or co-occurring disorder who the department has determined qualified to staff a crisis intervention center established under this article.
 
2.  Certified intentional peer support specialist.     "Certified intentional peer support specialist" means a person who has been certified as an intentional peer support specialist by the department in accordance with rules adopted under this article.
 
3.  Law enforcement officer.     "Law enforcement officer" has the same meaning as in Title 17-A, section 2, subsection 17.
 
4.  Person with co-occurring disorder.     "Person with co-occurring disorder" means a person with substance use disorder and mental illness.
 
5.  Person with mental illness.     "Person with mental illness" means a person who has a diagnosis of a mental illness as defined in Title 32, section 3811-A, subsection 2.
 
6.  Person with substance use disorder.     "Person with substance use disorder" has the same meaning as in Title 5, section 20003, subsection 17-A.
 
7.  Treatment.     "Treatment" means the broad range of emergency, outpatient, intermediate and inpatient services and care, including career counseling, diagnostic evaluation, employment, health, medical, psychiatric, psychological, recreational, rehabilitative, social service care, treatment and vocational services, that may be extended to a person with substance use disorder, mental illness or co-occurring disorder.
§ 3632. Crisis intervention centers established
The commissioner shall operate and maintain 4 crisis intervention centers to provide crisis intervention and psychiatric emergency services to persons with substance use disorder, mental illness or co-occurring disorder who are in crisis.
§ 3633. Director of crisis intervention center
The commissioner shall appoint a director for each crisis intervention center established in section 3632 who must be a behavioral health professional and have at least a master's degree in a relevant discipline.
§ 3634. Services provided by a crisis intervention center
A crisis intervention center established in section 3632:
 
1.  Facility.     Shall provide crisis intervention and psychiatric emergency services based in a facility that provides treatment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to persons with substance use disorder, mental illness or co-occurring disorder who are in crisis;
 
2.  Staffing.     Must be staffed with sufficient behavioral health professionals and certified intentional peer support specialists to serve the admitted persons under subsection 3; and
 
3.  Admission.     Shall admit:
 
A.  On an informal, voluntary basis for care and treatment, any person desiring admission or the adult ward of a legally appointed guardian;
 
B.  A person committed involuntarily to the crisis intervention center by the State; and
 
C.  A person transported to the crisis intervention center by a law enforcement officer whose jurisdiction includes the center.
§ 3635. Rules
The department shall adopt rules necessary to implement this article, which must include, at a minimum, certification requirements for the crisis intervention centers established in section 3632 and intentional peer support specialists; the location of the 4 crisis intervention centers to ensure regional accessibility throughout the State; admission and discharge standards for the crisis intervention centers; requirements for notice of a person's admission; availability of and patients' access to treatment; the staffing model for the crisis intervention centers, with specific descriptions of staffing levels, roles and responsibilities; and patient rights protections. To the extent possible, the rules must be consistent with chapter 1, subchapter 8; chapter 3, subchapter 4; and Title 5, chapter 511. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
SUMMARY
This bill establishes 4 crisis intervention centers regionally throughout the State that will be operated and maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services. It requires the crisis intervention centers to provide treatment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and to provide sufficient staffing. It provides that the Department of Health and Human Services must adopt rules that include the certification of the crisis intervention centers; the location of the crisis intervention centers to ensure regional accessibility throughout the State; admission and discharge standards; requirements for notice of a person's admission; availability of and patients' access to treatment; the staffing model, with specific descriptions of staffing levels, roles and responsibilities; and patient rights protections; and that, to the extent possible, the rules must be consistent with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 511; Title 34-B, chapter 1, subchapter 8; and Title 34-B, chapter 3, subchapter 4.