Chapter 41 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, after section 97F, the following section:-
Section 97G. (a) A city or town that accepts this section in the manner provided in section 4 of chapter 4 may establish within its police department, a division of civilian mental health advocates.
(b) The civilian mental health advocates may accompany law enforcement officers of the police department to respond to non-violent or behavioral health-related matters. The department shall establish procedures to determine if a civilian mental health advocate is required to accompany police response.
(c) The city or town shall determine the minimum qualifications for a civilian mental health advocate. The city or town may contract with private parties to provide civilian mental health advocate services.
(d) The police department may consult with the department of public health and the division of police officer standards and training in developing regulations relative to this section.
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