1     
MEDICAID WAIVER FOR MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

2     
SERVICES

3     
2018 GENERAL SESSION

4     
STATE OF UTAH

5     
Chief Sponsor: Steve Eliason

6     
Senate Sponsor: Daniel W. Thatcher

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8     LONG TITLE
9     General Description:
10          This bill requires the Department of Health to seek a Medicaid waiver for certain
11     mental health crisis resources.
12     Highlighted Provisions:
13          This bill:
14          ▸     defines terms; and
15          ▸     requires the Department of Health to seek a Medicaid waiver for certain mental
16     health crisis resources.
17     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
18          None
19     Other Special Clauses:
20          None
21     Utah Code Sections Affected:
22     ENACTS:
23          26-18-415, Utah Code Annotated 1953
24     

25     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
26          Section 1. Section 26-18-415 is enacted to read:
27          26-18-415. Medicaid waiver for mental health crisis lines and mobile crisis
28     outreach teams.
29          (1) As used in this section:

30          (a) "Local mental health crisis line" means the same as that term is defined in Section
31     63C-18-102.
32          (b) "Mental health crisis" means:
33          (i) a mental health condition that manifests itself in an individual by symptoms of
34     sufficient severity that a prudent layperson who possesses an average knowledge of mental
35     health issues could reasonably expect the absence of immediate attention or intervention to
36     result in:
37          (A) serious danger to the individual's health or well-being; or
38          (B) a danger to the health or well-being of others; or
39          (ii) a mental health condition that, in the opinion of a mental health therapist or the
40     therapist's designee, requires direct professional observation or the intervention of a mental
41     health therapist.
42          (c) (i) "Mental health crisis services" means direct mental health services and on-site
43     intervention that a mobile crisis outreach team provides to an individual suffering from a
44     mental health crisis, including the provision of safety and care plans, prolonged mental health
45     services for up to 90 days, and referrals to other community resources.
46          (ii) "Mental health crisis services" includes:
47          (A) local mental health crisis lines; and
48          (B) the statewide mental health crisis line.
49          (d) "Mental health therapist" means the same as that term is defined in Section
50     58-60-102.
51          (e) "Mobile crisis outreach team" or "MCOT" means a mobile team of medical and
52     mental health professionals that, in coordination with local law enforcement and emergency
53     medical service personnel, provides mental health crisis services.
54          (f) "Statewide mental health crisis line" means the same as that term is defined in
55     Section 63C-18-102.
56          (2) In consultation with the Department of Human Services and the Mental Health
57     Crisis Line Commission created in Section 63C-18-202, the department shall develop a

58     proposal to amend the state Medicaid plan to include mental health crisis services, including
59     the statewide mental health crisis line, local mental health crisis lines, and mobile crisis
60     outreach teams.
61          (3) By January 1, 2019, the department shall apply for a Medicaid waiver with the
62     Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services within the United States Department of Health
63     and Human Services, if necessary to implement, within the state Medicaid program, the mental
64     health crisis services described in Subsection (2).