NOTE:  This bill has been prepared for the signature of the appropriate legislative
officers and the Governor.  To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill
or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative
      history, or the Session Laws.
      
      
      HOUSE BILL 10-1032
      
      
      BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Frangas, Apuan, Massey, Casso, Gerou,
      Labuda, Merrifield, Pommer, Todd, Vigil, Kerr J., McFadyen, Riesberg;
      also SENATOR(S) Boyd, Foster, Schwartz, Newell, Tochtrop.
      
      
      Concerning behavioral health crisis response services.
       
      
      Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
      
           SECTION 1.  Part 2 of article 1 of title 27, Colorado Revised
      Statutes, is amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION to read:
      
           27-1-210.  Mental health crisis response system - legislative
      declaration - report by department.  (1) (a)  The general assembly
      hereby finds and declares that:
      
           (I)  There are people in Colorado communities who are
      experiencing mental health or substance abuse crises and need
      professional crisis care or urgent psychiatric care from skilled
      mental health clinicians and medical professionals who excel at
      providing compassionate crisis intervention and stabilization;
      
           (II)  Mental health or substance abuse crisis can happen any
      hour of the day and any day of the week;
      
           (III)  Persons in crisis frequently come in contact with
      community first responders who are often unable to provide
      necessary mental health interventions or who must transport
      these persons in crisis to emergency rooms for services, or, in cases
      where a crime is alleged, to jail;
      
           (IV)  Colorado ranks fiftieth in the nation in the number of
      inpatient psychiatric beds;
      
           (V)  Fewer than one-half of the persons who are in crisis and
      are taken to an emergency room are admitted for inpatient
      hospitalization, meaning that thousands of people each year
      return to community streets with little, if any, mental health or
      substance abuse crisis intervention or treatment; and
      
           (VI)  Significant time and resources are required of
      community first responders in addressing persons in mental health
      or substance abuse crisis and, in many cases, this community
      response is neither timely nor safe for the person in crisis nor
      cost-efficient for the state.
      
           (b)  The general assembly therefore finds that:
      
           (I)  A coordinated crisis response system provides for early
      intervention and effective treatment of persons in mental health
      or substance abuse crisis;
      
           (II)  A coordinated crisis response system should involve
      first responders and include information technology systems to
      integrate available crisis responses;
      
           (III)  A coordinated crisis response system should be
      available in all communities statewide; and
      
           (IV)  A coordinated crisis response system may include
      community-based crisis centers where persons in mental health or
      substance abuse crisis may be stabilized and receive short-term
      treatment.
      
           (2) (a)  The state department shall review the current
      behavioral health crisis response in Colorado and shall
      formulate a plan to address the lack of coordinated crisis
      response in the state.  The plan shall include an analysis of the
      best use of existing resources, including but not limited to
      managed service organizations, behavioral health organizations,
      mental health centers, crisis intervention trained officers, metro
      crisis services, hospitals, and other entities impacting behavioral
      health crisis response.  The state department shall complete the
      review, formulate the plan, and prepare the report required in
      paragraph (b) of this subsection (2) within existing appropriations
      and shall design the plan to be implemented within existing
      appropriations.
      
           (b)  On or before January 30, 2013, the state department
      shall present to a joint meeting of the health and human services
      committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any
      successor committees, a report concerning coordinated
      behavioral health crisis response in Colorado.  The report, at a
      minimum, shall include the plan prepared pursuant to paragraph
      (a) of this subsection (2).
           SECTION 2.  Safety clause.  The general assembly hereby finds,
      determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
      preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.
      
      
      
      
      
      ________________________________________________________
      Terrance D. Carroll                Brandon C. Shaffer
      SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE                     PRESIDENT OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
      
      
      ____________________________  ____________________________
      Marilyn Eddins                          Karen Goldman
      CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE                 SECRETARY OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
                  APPROVED________________________________________
      
      
      
      
      
                                    _________________________________________
                                    Bill Ritter, Jr.
                                    GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO