Two behavioral health bills head to the Governor’s desk

HB 1134 adds additional enhancements to the 988 behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention system. The bill focuses on the question of “who to call” when an individual needs crisis behavioral health support for themselves or someone else. This bill establishes liability protection for several entities and personnel for activities related to the dispatching decisions of the hotline and the transfer of calls between 911 and 988. The bill also creates an endorsement for 988 rapid response crisis teams that meet standards and a grant program to support them. AWC supports expansion of the 988-line to provide cities with a more robust service for their residents. The House concurred with the Senate amendments and is headed to the Governor’s desk for final signature.

Joining HB 1134 is another behavioral health system expansion – HB 5120 establishes 23-hour crisis relief centers as a new category of credentialed behavioral health facilities. In contrast to HB 1134, this bill focuses on “where to go” when someone is in behavioral health crisis. 23-hour crisis relief centers would be open 24 hours per day, seven days a week and accept anyone in a behavioral health crisis who walks in the door, are brought in by first responders, or are referred through the 988 behavioral health crisis system. With very limited exceptions, all law enforcement referrals would need to be accepted. Centers would provide services and coordinate care, limiting patient stays to less than 24 hours in most cases. The bill would also eliminate triage facilities as a behavioral health category and convert those existing triage facilities into crisis stabilization units. AWC supports this important first step to expanding crisis behavioral health treatment services.