Resolved, SECTION 1. There is hereby established a working group to study Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), including jail diversion, mental health courts and other matters relative to the decriminalization of mental illness. The working group shall also study any state or local obstacles that may hinder the broader utilization of universal and effective models throughout the commonwealth. The working group shall report its findings and conclusions to the general court and make recommendations regarding any necessary legislative and regulatory changes which are suggested by those findings and conclusions. The first meeting of the working group shall take place within 30 days after the effective date of this act.

SECTION 2. The working group shall consist of: the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on mental health and substance abuse who shall serve as the co-chairs; two appointees of the national alliance on mental illness of massachusetts, one of whom shall be the executive director; two appointees from the association of behavioral healthcare, one of whom shall be the executive director; the commissioner of the department of mental health or his/her designee; the secretary of public safety or his/her designee; the commissioner of the department of public health or his/her designee; two appointees of the governor, one of whom shall be a consumer of mental health services.

SECTION 3. In carrying out its charge, the working group shall examine, report on, and make recommendations regarding the following matters:

a)estimates of financing and costs, as well as savings to the law enforcement communities, of implementing effective decriminalization programs, including but not limited to the sources of such financing, including feasible approaches to obtaining such financing;

b)examples of successful implementation of effective models implemented in the commonwealth and other states;

c)resources, support and training needs required locally in order to offer and implement adequate decriminalization programs, including but not limited to jail diversion, CIT, mental health courts and other related matters;

d)the most effective and efficient methods for requiring state and local training of all public safety personnel including exploring offering said training as part of all incoming public safety classes;

e)the obstacles to broader utilization of decriminalization programs, including but not limited to jail diversion, CIT, mental health courts and other programs in cities and towns;

f)best practices that presently exist within and outside of the commonwealth relative to mental illness and the criminal justice system.

SECTION 4. The working group shall solicit advice from such persons and entities as it deems necessary, including but not limited to the department of corrections, state agencies, associations representing police officers and other public safety officials, consumers of mental health services, family members of people with mental illness, and other states which have employed effective and highly regarded programs and municipal officials.

SECTION 5. The working group shall file a report containing its recommendations, including legislation and regulations necessary to carry out its recommendations, with the joint committee on mental health and substance abuse and the clerks of the house and senate not later than 6 months following the first meeting of the working group.