Senate Bill 19-222 Summary

• Establishes a community behavioral health safety net system to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment services for individuals at risk of entering the criminal or juvenile justice system.

• Requires the Department of Human Services to develop measurable outcomes by March 1, 2020, and work with managed care entities by July 1, 2021, to create incentives for providers to accept Medicaid recipients with severe behavioral health disorders.

• Directs the state to develop high-intensity behavioral health treatment programs by July 1, 2020, and submit an implementation plan by November 1, 2020, to expand capacity statewide, including programs serving youth.

• Mandates that the safety net system cannot refuse treatment based on insurance status, clinical acuity, criminal justice involvement, co-occurring disorders, or aggressive behavior; must proactively engage individuals and provide timely access to appropriate care levels.

• Appropriates $75,000 to the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing for fiscal year 2019-20, with additional anticipated federal funding of $75,000 for general professional services and $220,707 for the Department of Human Services.