Bill Text: VA HB1065 | 2024 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Community services boards; quarterly stakeholder meetings.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-02-13 - Left in Health and Human Services [HB1065 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HB1065-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §37.2-500 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§37.2-500. Purpose; community services board; services to be provided; stakeholder meetings.
A. The Department, for the purposes of establishing, maintaining, and promoting the development of mental health, developmental, and substance abuse services in the Commonwealth, may provide funds to assist any city or county or any combinations of cities or counties or cities and counties in the provision of these services. Every city or county shall establish a community services board by itself or in any combination with other cities and counties, unless it establishes a behavioral health authority pursuant to Chapter 6 (§37.2-600 et seq.). In order to provide comprehensive mental health, developmental, and substance abuse services within a continuum of care, the community services board shall function as the single point of entry into publicly funded mental health, developmental, and substance abuse services.
B. The core of services provided by community services boards within the cities and counties that they serve shall include:
1. Emergency services;
2. Same-day mental health screening services;
3. Outpatient primary care screening and monitoring services for physical health indicators and health risks and follow-up services for individuals identified as being in need of assistance with overcoming barriers to accessing primary health services, including developing linkages to primary health care providers; and
4. Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for them, case management services.
C. Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for them, the core of services may include a comprehensive system of inpatient, outpatient, day support, residential, prevention, early intervention, and other appropriate mental health, developmental, and substance abuse services necessary to provide individualized services and supports to persons with mental illness, developmental disabilities, or substance abuse. Community services boards may establish crisis stabilization units that provide residential crisis stabilization services.
D. The purpose of behavioral health services provided by community services boards shall be to enable individuals who have a mental illness or substance use disorder that significantly impairs their functioning to access effective, timely, and cost-efficient services that help them (i) overcome or manage functional impairments caused by the mental illness or substance use disorder and (ii) remain in the community to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the individual's well-being and public safety.
E. Every city or county or any combination of cities and counties that has established a community services board, in consultation with that board, shall designate it as an operating community services board, an administrative policy community services board, or a local government department with a policy-advisory community services board. The governing body of each city or county that established the community services board may change this designation at any time by ordinance. In the case of a community services board established by more than one city or county, the decision to change this designation shall be the unanimous decision of all governing bodies.
F. 1. Every community services board shall conduct stakeholder meetings at least four times per year, each of which shall be held no more than three months in advance of another. Such stakeholder meetings shall engage law-enforcement agencies, local government representatives, health systems and health providers, correctional facilities and jails, and other interested parties as deemed relevant by the applicable community services board.
2. During stakeholder meetings, the community services board and the stakeholders shall discuss challenges, identify opportunities for improvement, and collaboratively work towards effective solutions. The discussions at such meetings shall include:
a. Evaluation of current service provisions and identification of areas for enhancement;
b. Coordination efforts with law enforcement to address mental health crises and substance use issues within the community;
c. Collaboration with localities to align mental health and developmental services with community needs;
d. Integration of services with health systems and health providers to ensure comprehensive care;
e. Strategies to address challenges within correctional facilities and jails concerning individuals with mental health or developmental issues; and
f. Engagement with other stakeholders as needed to address emerging concerns and opportunities.
3. Every community services board shall submit an annual report to the Department no later than November 1 of each year. Such annual report shall include the dates upon which each stakeholder meeting was held and a summary of the topics discussed at each meeting. The Director of the Department may provide guidance and recommendations to any community services board and may review funding allocations of community services boards and revise funding in response to such reports.
G. A community services board may enter into contracts with private providers to ensure the delivery of services pursuant to this article.
