HB5113 Summary

• Requires the Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health to provide annual education and training to psychiatrists and clinical psychologists on best practices for determining when forensic patients no longer pose a serious risk of harm and can be safely released to community-based treatment.

• Mandates the Division provide annual training to clinical social workers on available community mental health services to support forensic patient transitions.

• Directs the Division to develop policies and practices to recommend and facilitate diversion or conditional release of forensic patients to community-based treatment when medically appropriate, without circumventing required judicial processes.

• Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the Division, to establish a reimbursement mechanism or supplemental payment within one year to cover additional provider costs associated with serving forensic patients in community settings.

• Directs state psychiatric facilities to develop policies within one year enabling admission and treatment of individuals with low-to-moderate medical conditions such as diabetes alongside mental illness, consistent with other psychiatric hospitals in the state.