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SENATE BILL 358 |
SENATE AUTHOR: Madla et al. |
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EFFECTIVE: 9-1-99 |
HOUSE SPONSOR: Gray et al. |
Senate Bill 358 amends the Health and Safety Code to continue the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation until September 1, 2011. The act amends requirements relating to the department's long-range planning and requires the department to report on the most efficient long-term use of its campus-based facilities. The department must develop a report analyzing state and federally funded residential services for persons with mental retardation and must evaluate the current and long-term costs associated with serving inpatient psychiatric needs of persons living in certain counties. The Texas Board of Mental Health and Mental Retardation is required to establish criteria regarding the uses of campus-based facilities as part of a full continuum of services.
The act requires the department to establish model program standards for services for use by each state agency that provides or pays for mental health or mental retardation services and to enter into an agreement with the Texas Rehabilitation Commission to define the agencies' responsibilities regarding shared client populations and establish methods to prevent the duplication and fragmentation of employment services. The Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (TCADA) is required to develop model program standards for substance abuse services for use by each state agency that provides or pays for substance abuse services.
Senate Bill 358 authorizes the department and TCADA to jointly designate a local behavioral health authority to provide mental health and chemical dependency services in a local service area and authorizes the commission to provide services through a local behavioral health authority. In addition, the act provides for the establishment of a local mental health or mental retardation authority technical advisory committee and amends provisions relating to the renewal of certain contracts for community services.
The act requires the department and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs to implement a program to demonstrate the effectiveness of interagency cooperation for providing supported housing services to individuals with mental illness who reside in personal care facilities and to work with the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS) to allocate resources for the program. The commissioner of human services must appoint a committee to evaluate the delivery and regulation of services to residents of intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded. The act transfers duties relating to licensing, surveying, and regulation of intermediate care facilities to the department from DHS, unless the committee determines that such a transfer is not in the best interests of the residents.
The act adds requirements relating to client education and choice regarding available services and requires the commissioner of mental health and mental retardation to employ an ombudsman responsible for assisting a person who has been denied services. The act amends requirements relating to the return of a patient to a facility under court order.
The act authorizes the department to transfer operations of and services provided at the Amarillo State Center, Beaumont State Center, and Laredo State Center to a community center, including a newly established center providing mental retardation services or mental health and mental retardation services. It adds requirements relating to a contract between the department and a health maintenance organization formed by one or more community centers.