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hb870_00_IN
As Introduced
136th
General Assembly
Regular
Session
H. B. No. 870
2025-2026
Representatives Brewer, Sims
Cosponsors: Representatives Brennan,
Lett, Cockley, Upchurch
To
enact
the Ohio Mental Health Systems Coordination and Crisis Prevention
Commission Act.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section
1.
(A)
The Ohio Mental Health Systems Coordination and Crisis Prevention
Commission is established to study gaps in mental health care,
service coordination, and crisis interventions, and to make
recommendations to improve statewide prevention, response, and
accountability. In fulfilling its purpose, the Commission shall do
all of the following:
(1)
Study systemic gaps in Ohio's mental health care continuum, including
the following:
(a)
Failures in coordination between state agencies, county agencies,
hospitals, community behavioral health providers, schools, and law
enforcement;
(b)
Barriers that prevent families, caregivers, and noncustodial parents
from receiving critical information when a child or adult is at risk;
(c)
Missed opportunities for early intervention in cases involving severe
mental illness, postpartum disorders, psychosis, or escalating
behavioral health crises.
(2)
Examine recent Ohio cases in which individuals sought mental health
services and any of the following occurred:
(a)
Services were fragmented or uncoordinated;
(b)
Agencies failed to share information;
(c)
Risk assessments were incomplete or not appropriately communicated;
(d)
Children or vulnerable adults were left unprotected.
(3)
Review the findings and recommendations of the RecoveryOhio
initiative, including the RecoveryOhio Advisory Council, and evaluate
statewide workforce development needs related to behavioral health;
(4)
Hear testimony from families, providers, advocates, and impacted
communities;
(5)
Develop recommendations regarding all of the following:
(a)
Statewide crisis prevention protocols, including mandatory
cross-agency communication standards;
(b)
Real-time information sharing systems between behavioral health
providers, the Department of Children and Youth, public children
services agencies, courts, and law enforcement;
(c)
Standardized risk assessment tools for individuals presenting with
violent ideation, psychosis, or severe mental health deterioration;
(d)
Family notification and engagement requirements, including regarding
noncustodial parents, when a child is at risk or a caregiver is in
crisis;
(e)
Barriers to accessing mental health treatment, including insurance,
transportation, wait lists, and provider shortages;
(f)
Pilot programs to improve coordinated care, including the following:
(i)
Co-located behavioral health and child welfare teams;
(ii)
Shared case management models;
(iii)
24/7 crisis-coordination hubs;
(iv)
Integrated data systems.
(g)
Understanding and addressing workforce needs, including the
following:
(i)
Measuring current and projected demand for behavioral health
professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors,
social workers, peer support specialists, crisis response personnel,
mobile units, and care coordinators;
(ii)
Correcting gaps in workforce data collection related to vacancy
rates, turnover, credentialing barriers, and regional shortages;
(iii)
Developing statewide recruitment strategies, including partnerships
with career centers, community colleges, universities, and workforce
development agencies;
(iv)
Supporting career ladder development and credentialing pathways for
behavioral health workers, including continuing education
opportunities and tuition assistance models;
(v)
Removing barriers to hiring and retaining behavioral health workers
and recommending strategies to improve job quality, compensation, and
working conditions;
(vi)
Developing pilot programs related to workforce recruitment, training
pipelines, navigator programs, shared staffing models, and the use of
assistive or digital technology to support crisis response and care
coordination functions;
(vii)
Collaborating with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, OhioMeansJobs, and
RecoveryOhio to assess the impact of mental health system failures on
Ohio's workforce and economy.
(B)
When fulfilling the requirements of division (A) of this section, the
Commission shall take into consideration the work of all of the
following:
(1)
The OhioRISE Advisory Council;
(2)
The Stepping Up Initiative;
(3)
The Governor's Work Group on Competency Restoration and Diversion;
(4)
Child fatality review boards and domestic violence fatality review
boards.
(C)
The Commission shall consist of the following twenty members:
(1)
The following seven voting members appointed by the President of the
Senate:
(a)
Three members of the Senate, two from the majority party and one from
the minority party who is appointed in consultation with the Minority
Leader;
(b)
A representative of a statewide behavioral health provider
association;
(c)
A representative of a statewide law enforcement or crisis
intervention training organization;
(d)
A representative of a statewide organization serving individuals with
severe mental illness;
(e)
A representative of OhioMeansJobs or the Governor's Office of
Workforce Transformation.
(2)
The following eight voting members appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives:
(a)
Three members of the House of Representatives, two from the majority
party and one from the minority party who is appointed in
consultation with the Minority Leader;
(b)
A representative of a county or regional service coordination agency
responsible for coordinating services for multi-system youth or
children with complex behavioral health needs, including family and
children first councils, wraparound coordination agencies, or
OhioRISE care management entities, appointed in consultation with the
Director of Children and Youth;
(c)
A representative of a statewide family advocacy or parent support
organization;
(d)
A representative of a statewide organization representing community
mental health and addiction providers;
(e)
A representative of a statewide organization representing consumers
with lived mental health crises experience;
(f)
A representative of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
(3)
A voting member who is a representative of the RecoveryOhio
initiative, including the RecoveryOhio Advisory Council, appointed
jointly by the Governor and the Director of RecoveryOhio;
(4)
The following four nonvoting members:
(a)
The Director of Children and Youth or the Director's designee;
(b)
The Director of Behavioral Health or the Director's designee;
(c)
The Medicaid Director or the Director's designee;
(d)
The Director of Developmental Disabilities or the Director's
designee.
The
members shall be appointed not later than ninety days after the
effective date of this section. Vacancies, including any vacancy due
to the expiration of a member of the General Assembly's term of
office, shall be filled not later than ninety days after the vacancy
occurs in the same manner as the original appointment. The President
of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
each appoint one member representing the majority party appointed
under divisions (C)(1)(a) and (C)(2)(a), respectively, to serve as
co-chairs.
(D)
The Commission shall meet at the call of the co-chairs. Members may
participate virtually. The Commission shall meet at least six times
prior to submitting the report required under division (F) of this
section.
(E)
The General Assembly shall provide meeting space, virtual meeting
technology, staff services, and other technical assistance required
by the Commission in carrying out its duties.
(F)
Not later than December 31, 2027, the Commission shall prepare and
submit to the General Assembly a report of its findings regarding
gaps in mental health care, service coordination, and crisis
intervention failures and its recommendations to improve statewide
prevention, response, and accountability. The report shall be
submitted in accordance with section 101.68 of the Revised Code.
(G)
The Commission ceases to exist on the submission of the report
described in division (F) of this section.
Section
2.
This
act shall be known as the Ohio Mental Health Systems Coordination and
Crisis Prevention Commission Act.