By:  Moncrief                                         S.B. No. 1469
         2001S0723/1                            
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to creating a pilot treatment program for certain adults
 1-3     on community supervision.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 533, Health and Safety
 1-6     Code, is amended by adding Section 533.048 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 533.048.  ADULT ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT PILOT
 1-8     PROGRAM.  (a)  In this section:
 1-9                 (1)  "ACT pilot program" means the Adult Assertive
1-10     Community Treatment pilot program established by the department
1-11     under this section.
1-12                 (2)  "ACT team" means the clinical and rehabilitation
1-13     professional staff that provide services under the ACT pilot
1-14     program.
1-15                 (3)  "Targeted adults" means persons 18 years of age or
1-16     older who:
1-17                       (A)  have severe and persistent mental illnesses;
1-18                       (B)  have a history of:
1-19                             (i)  multiple hospitalizations;
1-20                             (ii)  poor school performance; or
1-21                             (iii)  involvement with the judicial
1-22     system, homeless shelters, or community residential homes; and
1-23                       (C)  are on community supervision.
1-24           (b)  The department shall establish an Adult Assertive
1-25     Community Treatment pilot program in Tarrant County, to provide
 2-1     treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to targeted adults
 2-2     in Tarrant County.  The ACT pilot program shall be modeled on other
 2-3     Assertive Community Treatment programs that have been established
 2-4     across the state by the department.
 2-5           (c)  The department shall create an ACT team consisting of
 2-6     degreed or licensed professionals in the clinical treatment or
 2-7     rehabilitation fields to be responsible for administering the ACT
 2-8     pilot program.  The professionals chosen for the ACT team must
 2-9     include a full-time registered nurse, who will provide direct
2-10     services to the targeted adults, and a psychiatrist, who will be
2-11     available to the ACT pilot program for a minimum of 10 hours per
2-12     week.  The ACT team shall maintain a ratio not less than one ACT
2-13     team member for each 10 targeted adults, with a maximum of 20
2-14     targeted adults receiving services at any one time.
2-15           (d)  In administering the ACT pilot program, the ACT team
2-16     shall:
2-17                 (1)  provide psychiatric, substance abuse, and
2-18     employment services to targeted adults;
2-19                 (2)  maintain the ratio specified in Subsection (c) in
2-20     order to:
2-21                       (A)  provide ACT team availability during evening
2-22     and weekend hours;
2-23                       (B)  meet the needs of special populations; and
2-24                       (C)  cover the geographic areas served by the
2-25     program; and
2-26                 (3)  maintain 24-hour responsibility and availability
 3-1     for covering and managing any psychiatric crisis for the targeted
 3-2     adults.
 3-3           SECTION 2.  Not later than January 15, 2003, the Texas
 3-4     Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation shall submit to
 3-5     the governor and the legislature a report concerning the
 3-6     effectiveness of the Adult Assertive Community Treatment pilot
 3-7     program established under Section 533.048, Health and Safety Code,
 3-8     as added by this Act.
 3-9           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.