Senate Bill 2039 Summary

• Creates new section 50-06-06.14 requiring the Department of Human Services and county social service boards to explore kinship care options for children unable to return home due to safety concerns, and to provide permanency options in the least restrictive care settings near the family's home as required by the federal Adoption and Safe Family Act of 1997.

• Consolidates mental health and substance use disorder programs into a unified "behavioral health" system within the Department of Human Services, with a policy division for service needs review and quality assurance standards, and a service delivery division providing chronic disease management, regional intervention, and 24-hour crisis services.

• Amends the continuum of services for individuals with serious and persistent mental illness to include peer and recovery support services and 24-hour, 7-day-a-week crisis services, while maintaining the requirement that treatment be provided in the least restrictive available conditions.

• Repeals chapter 25-10 and sections 25-02-02, 50-06-01.2, and 50-06-23 of the North Dakota Century Code related to separate mental health services structures.

• Requires regional human service centers to be nationally accredited, with accreditation cost support to be appropriated by the 66th Legislative Assembly; accreditation requirement becomes effective August 1, 2021.