Health facilities: behavioral health response.

Existing law provides for the licensing, regulation, and inspection of various types of health facilities by the State Department of Public Health, including general acute care hospitals. Existing law requires certain building standards and regulations to prescribe standards of adequacy, safety, and sanitation of the physical plant, of staffing with duly qualified licensed personnel, and of services, based on the type of health facility and the needs of the persons served. Existing law requires specified financial and utilization data to be reported to the department by a hospital at the end of a calendar quarter. Existing law generally makes a violation of the licensure provisions for health facilities a misdemeanor. This bill would require a general acute care hospital to adopt policies for behavioral health personnel to respond to patients with a mental health or substance use crisis. The bill would require that these protocols meet standards established by the department and consist of various parameters such as minimum staffing requirements for behavioral health responses, procedures for response by behavioral health personnel in a timely manner, and annual training, as specified. The bill would require the department to adopt regulations on standards for general acute care hospitals related to behavioral health response. The bill would require all general acute care hospitals to maintain records on each patient who receives care from behavioral health response personnel and the number of hours of services provided for a period of 3 years. The bill would require hospitals to include related data in their quarterly summary utilization data reported to the department. Existing law establishes the Department of Health Care Access and Information, which is responsible for administering various programs with respect to health care professions and establishes various programs to facilitate the expansion of the health care workforce. Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors in each county to establish and maintain a county hospital to provide public health care services within the county. Existing law authorizes the board to prescribe rules for the hospital's government and management, and to appoint a county physician and other necessary officers and employees of the hospital, as specified. This bill would establish the Behavioral Health Response and Training Fund to provide grants to qualifying applicants for the purpose of funding a new program or supporting an existing program that increases the staffing in general acute care hospitals of direct care personnel who are trained in behavioral health care and behavioral health response or intervention. The bill would also require the department to evaluate the program and report to the Legislature annually. By expanding the scope of a crime under the above paragraphs, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.