1. (a)

   1. (1) Subject to appropriation, the Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health, shall use an independent third-party expert to conduct a cost analysis and determine sound costs associated with developing and maintaining a statewide initiative for the coordination and delivery of the continuum of behavioral health crisis response services in the State, including all of the following:

      1. (A) Crisis call centers.
      2. (B) Mobile crisis response team services.
      3. (C) Crisis receiving and stabilization centers.
      4. (D) Follow-up and other acute behavioral health services.

   2. (2) The analysis shall include costs that are or can be reasonably attributed to, but not limited to:

      1. (A) staffing and technological infrastructure enhancements necessary to achieve operational and clinical standards and best practices set forth by the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline;
      2. (B) the recruitment of personnel that reflect the demographics of the community served; specialized training of staff to assess and serve people experiencing mental health, substance use, and suicidal crises, including specialized training to serve at-risk communities, including culturally and linguistically competent services for LGBTQ+, racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities;
      3. (C) the need to develop staffing that is consistent with federal guidelines for mobile crisis response times, based on call volume and the geography served;
      4. (D) the provision of call, text, and chat response; mobile crisis response; and follow-up and crisis stabilization services that are in response to the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline;
      5. (E) the costs related to developing and maintaining the physical plant, operations, and staffing of crisis receiving and stabilization centers;
      6. (F) the provision of data, reporting, participation in evaluations, and related quality improvement activities as may be required;
      7. (G) the administration, oversight, and evaluation of the Statewide 9-8-8 Trust Fund;
      8. (H) the coordination with 9-1-1, emergency service providers, crisis co-responders, and other system partners, including service providers; and
      9. (I) the development of service enhancements or targeted responses to improve outcomes and address gaps and needs.
   3. (3) The Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health, and independent third-party experts shall obtain meaningful stakeholder engagement on the cost analysis conducted in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2).
2. (b) The Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health, and independent third-party experts, with meaningful stakeholder engagement, shall provide a set of recommendations on multiple sources of funding that could potentially be utilized to support a sustainable and comprehensive continuum of behavioral health crisis response services.
3. (c) The Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health, may hire an independent third-party expert, amend an existing Department of Human Services contract with an independent third-party expert, or coordinate with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to amend and utilize an independent third-party expert contracted with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to conduct a cost analysis and determine sound costs as outlined in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 103-337, eff. 7-28-23.)