Senate Bill 2610 Summary

• Creates the position of Coordinator of Mental Health Accessibility within the Department of Finance and Administration to reform Mississippi's mental health delivery system and ensure services are accessible in all counties.

• Coordinator must have a master's, doctoral, or law degree and five years of professional experience; appointed by the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration and housed at the State Department of Mental Health.

• Coordinator powers include reviewing the mental health system, analyzing service adequacy by county, inspecting facilities, interviewing staff, accessing documents, and submitting quarterly status reports to the Governor, Legislature, and relevant agencies.

• When mental health services are determined inadequate in a county or geographic area, the Coordinator must work with regional commissions to develop plans to increase access, escalating to the State Board of Mental Health to issue requests for proposals if no regional commission will provide services.

• Amends existing law to require regional commissions placed on probation to develop a sustainability business plan within 30 days and mandates the State Board of Mental Health provide orientation and annual training for all regional commissioners.