Mental health and substance abuse systems.

WORKING DRAFT

ORIGINAL HOUSE

BILL

NO.
0340

ENROLLED ACT NO. 114, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FIFTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2005 GENERAL SESSION

AN ACT relating to the legislature; providing for a select committee on mental health and substance abuse services; providing for membership of the select committee; providing for studies and legislative recommendations; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

(a)

There is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative service office seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000.00) to be used for the select committee on mental health and substance abuse services delivery in this state. The committee shall study issues and propose legislation to provide more cost effective and accessible delivery of mental health and substance abuse services, including recommendations regarding a regional approach to providing those services.

(b)

The committee shall consist of twelve (12) members as follows:

(i)

Six (6) members of the house of representatives, with not more than four (4) members from the same political party. The members shall be appointed by the speaker of the house, who shall also appoint one (1) of the members as cochairman of the committee;

(ii)

Six (6) members of the senate, with not more than four (4) members from the same political party. The members shall be appointed by the president of the senate, who shall also appoint one (1) of the members as cochairman of the committee.

(c)

State agencies shall provide information and other support to the committee as requested. The legislative service office shall staff the committee. The committee shall meet as necessary and shall report to the joint judiciary interim committee, the joint appropriations interim committee and the joint labor health and social services interim committee its findings and recommendations for statutory changes not later than November 1, 2005. The findings and recommendations shall address:

(i)

Funding sources and levels of funding for mental health and substance abuse services in the state, including levels of funding from federal, state, local and private sources;

(ii)

Availability of and access to mental health and substance abuse services in the state, including but not limited to:

(A)

The number of beds available in institutions and hospitals for mental health and substance abuse treatment;

(B)

The training available for and levels of training achieved by health care providers providing mental health and substance abuse services; and

(C)

The number of persons utilizing health care and substance abuse services annually in this state and estimates of the number of persons needing those services but not utilizing the services.

(iii)

The mental health and substance abuse system of care to assess service continuum within geographic regions of the state, including but not be limited to:

(A)

Adult, child, adolescent and family mental health and substance abuse clinical services, including support services for co-occurring conditions;

(B)

Use of Medicaid waivers;

(C)

Recruitment and retention of psychiatrists and other clinical and support staff.

(iv)

Cost effective alternatives to current methods of substance abuse and mental health services delivery;

(v)

Governing body structures and oversight of the programs and services planned and delivered;

(vi)

Funding issues including incremental and significant erosion of ability to compete for clinical and support staff and evaluate funding and program issues related to vocational and educational services;

(vii)

Accountability activities with respect to comprehensiveness and appropriateness including standards, contracting, data collection, report generation and fiscal management procedures as appropriate;

(viii)

Assessment of progress made and sufficiency of mental health and substance abuse services;

(ix)

Possible revisions of title 25 of the Wyoming statutes concerning involuntary commitments pertaining to persons with mental illness to achieve the following:

(A)

Improvement to procedures to assure that the most appropriate assessments, evaluations and treatments are available, in the shortest possible time and in the most appropriate location, for persons detained under this statute, while protecting all rights of individuals involved and considering the best value to the state;

(B)

Cost management challenges to be met between the state and each county.

Section 2.
This act is effective immediately upon co
m
pletion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constit
u
tion.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

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