BILL ANALYSIS
By: Hilderbran
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
In 1999, the Department of State Health Services (department) began to redefine the roll of Kerrville State Hospital by moving away from providing acute inpatient care to providing treatment for people under an extended criminal commitment (a forensic patient).
Because of increasing pressure of forensic commitments across the 10 State Hospitals, the department in January 2005 converted Kerrville State Hospital to a forensic facility. Hill Country patients needing inpatient care in Kerrville State Hospital were diverted to Austin and San Antonio. A 16 bed Crisis Stabilization Unit (unit) Pilot Project on Kerrville State Hospital grounds is the solution. A unit is a short-term (14 day or less) residential treatment program designed to reduce a patient's acute symptoms of mental illness and prevent admission to a state hospital. The local mental health authority serving the Hill Country area in Kerr County would operate the unit under a contract with the department.
C.S.H.B. 654 relates to a pilot project to develop and operate a crisis stabilization unit on Kerrville State Hospital grounds.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
CSHB 654 adds a section to Chapter 551, HILL COUNTRY LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT PILOT PROJECT, of the Health and Safety Code. The bill requires the Department of State Health Services (department) to implement a crisis stabilization unit (unit) pilot project on the grounds of the Kerrville State Hospital (hospital). The bill provides the unit must be a 16-bed facility separate from the buildings used by the hospital, and may not be used to care for children or certain adults. The bill requires the department to contract with a local mental health authority (authority) to operate the unit and to ensure that the unit provides certain short-term residential treatment. The department, in collaboration with the authority, shall ensure that the unit is made available to other mental health authorities for use as designated by the department.
The authority is required to contract with the hospital to provide certain services and equipment rental, and may contract with the hospital to provide pharmaceutical services. The bill authorizes the authority to use certain money in operating the unit.
Not later than December 1, 2008, the department shall submit a report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives that includes an analysis of the effectiveness of the pilot project and recommendations regarding the continuation or expansion of the pilot project. The pilot project expires September 1, 2009.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
CSHB 654 modifies the original version by changing the section title from KERRVILLE COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL to HILL COUNTRY LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT PILOT PROJECT. The original bill required the department to contract with a community mental health center (center) to operate a community inpatient psychiatric hospital (psychiatric hospital), where the substitute requires the department to implement a "crisis stabilization unit pilot project" (unit), and to contract with an authority to operate the unit. The substitute provides that the unit must provide certain short term residential treatment, and deletes language specifying that the center must be qualified to provide certain care, rehabilitation, and services.
The substitute changes the center to the authority, and the psychiatric hospital to the unit, in regards to contracting with the Kerrville State Hospital and in prohibiting care to certain populations.
CSHB 654 adds provisions authorizing the authority to use certain money in operating the unit, and providing that not later than December 1, 2008, the department shall submit a report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives that includes an analysis of the effectiveness of the pilot project and recommendations regarding the continuation or expansion of the pilot project. The pilot project expires September 1, 2009.