COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH REFORM

Creates the Community Mental Health Reform Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in partnership with the Department of Human Services, to revise administrative rules and other Department policies and practices concerning certification and service requirements for community mental health centers and behavioral health clinics. Provides that the primary goal of revising the administrative rules and Department policies is to develop a modernized regulatory framework that: (1) fosters the provision of services that results in the best mental health and health outcomes and is consistent with a Medicaid managed care environment; (2) enables innovation and integrated mental and physical health care; (3) harnesses the modern mental health workforce; and (4) reduces unnecessary process barriers that do not offer meaningful clinical value and that act as a barrier to treatment. Requires the Department of Human Services to revise administrative rules concerning the Medicaid Community Mental Health Services Program to be consistent with changes made to administrative rules concerning certification and service requirements for community mental health centers and behavioral health clinics. Contains provisions concerning reducing client mental health assessments; enabling workforce expertise for certain roles on multidisciplinary, team-based treatment models; streamlining fee-for-service documentation requirements to enable increased time for client care; the establishment of a working group of community mental health centers and behavioral health clinics; and other matters. Effective immediately.