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8 LONG TITLE
9 Committee Note:
10 The Political Subdivisions Interim Committee recommended this bill.
11 General Description:
12 This bill requires the Department of Health to seek a Medicaid waiver for certain
13 mental health crisis resources.
14 Highlighted Provisions:
15 This bill:
16 ▸ defines terms; and
17 ▸ requires the Department of Health to seek a Medicaid waiver for certain mental
18 health crisis resources.
19 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
20 None
21 Other Special Clauses:
22 None
23 Utah Code Sections Affected:
24 ENACTS:
25 26-18-415, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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27 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
28 Section 1. Section 26-18-415 is enacted to read:
29 26-18-415. Medicaid waiver for mental health crisis lines and mobile crisis
30 outreach teams.
31 (1) As used in this section:
32 (a) "Local mental health crisis line" means the same as that term is defined in Section
33 63C-18-102.
34 (b) "Mental health crisis" means:
35 (i) a mental health condition that manifests itself in an individual by symptoms of
36 sufficient severity that a prudent layperson who possesses an average knowledge of mental
37 health issues could reasonably expect the absence of immediate attention or intervention to
38 result in:
39 (A) serious danger to the individual's health or well-being; or
40 (B) a danger to the health or well-being of others; or
41 (ii) a mental health condition that, in the opinion of a mental health therapist or the
42 therapist's designee, requires direct professional observation or the intervention of a mental
43 health therapist.
44 (c) (i) "Mental health crisis services" means direct mental health services and on-site
45 intervention that a mobile crisis outreach team provides to an individual suffering from a
46 mental health crisis, including the provision of safety and care plans, prolonged mental health
47 services for up to 90 days, and referrals to other community resources.
48 (ii) "Mental health crisis services" includes:
49 (A) local mental health crisis lines; and
50 (B) the statewide mental health crisis line.
51 (d) "Mental health therapist" means the same as that term is defined in Section
52 58-60-102.
53 (e) "Mobile crisis outreach team" or "MCOT" means a mobile team of medical and
54 mental health professionals that, in coordination with local law enforcement and emergency
55 medical service personnel, provides mental health crisis services.
56 (f) "Statewide mental health crisis line" means the same as that term is defined in
57 Section 63C-18-102.
58 (2) In consultation with the Department of Human Services and the Mental Health
59 Crisis Line Commission created in Section 63C-18-202, the department shall develop a
60 proposal to amend the state Medicaid plan to include mental health crisis services, including
61 the statewide mental health crisis line, local mental health crisis lines, and mobile crisis
62 outreach teams.
63 (3) By January 1, 2019, the department shall apply for a Medicaid waiver with the
64 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services within the United States Department of Health
65 and Human Services to implement, within the state Medicaid program, the mental health crisis
66 services described in Subsection (2).
Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel