The Board of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services shall have the following responsibilities and authority:

1. 1. To promulgate and enforce policies to assure statewide conformance with standards of care and operation and promulgate rules governing eligibility of public agencies or mental health facilities to contract with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; prescribe standards for qualifications or personnel and quality of professional services; ensure eligibility for community mental health services so that no person will be denied services on the basis of race, color or creed or inability to pay; and promulgate such other rules as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of the Unified Community Mental Health Services Act, Section 3-301 et seq. of this title;
2. 2. To provide technical assistance to community mental health facilities and boards;
3. 3. To provide clinical, fiscal and management audit of services and facilities;
4. 4. To approve and compile catchment area plans and budget requests into a statewide mental health plan and budget for submission to the Governor, Legislature and federal funding sources as appropriate;
5. 5. To provide funding to each Community Mental Health Board within available funds for the performance of its duties prescribed herein;
6. 6. To review and evaluate local programs for community mental health services and the performance of administrative and professional personnel in municipalities having Community Mental Health Boards and make recommendations to Community Mental Health Boards;
7. 7. To certify community mental health centers for a period of three (3) years subject to renewal as provided in the rule promulgated by the Board;
8. 8. To assist mental health facilities in the recruitment of qualified personnel and in conducting in-service training programs; and
9. 9. To help promulgate such rules as may be necessary to establish an application fee of no more than One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00) to help defray the cost of certification granted pursuant to the Unified Community Mental Health Services Act.

Added by Laws 1980, c. 291, § 6, eff. October 1, 1980; Amended by Laws 1982, c. 344, § 18, emerg. eff. June 2, 1982; Amended by Laws 1986, c. 103, § 33, eff. November 1, 1986; Renumbered from § 618 by Laws 1986, c. 103, § 103, eff. November 1, 1986; Amended by Laws 1990, c. 51, § 66, emerg. eff. April 9, 1990; Amended by Laws 1992, c. 348, § 2, emerg. eff. June 4, 1992; Amended by Laws 2001, HB 1107, c. 186, § 7, eff. November 1, 2001 (superseded document available ).