HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 169        FILED ON: 1/13/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2098

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Patricia A. Haddad

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to creating intensive stabilization and treatment units within the Department of Mental Health.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Patricia A. Haddad

5th Bristol

1/13/2021

Patricia A. Duffy

5th Hampden

3/3/2021

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

3/3/2021

Carol A. Doherty

3rd Bristol

3/3/2021

Timothy R. Whelan

1st Barnstable

3/3/2021

Michael D. Brady

Second Plymouth and Bristol

3/3/2021

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

3/9/2021

Peter Capano

11th Essex

3/9/2021

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

3/9/2021

Walter F. Timilty

Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth

3/10/2021

Michael P. Kushmerek

3rd Worcester

4/1/2021

Erika Uyterhoeven

27th Middlesex

5/5/2021

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

7/26/2021


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 169        FILED ON: 1/13/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2098

By Mrs. Haddad of Somerset, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2098) of Patricia A. Haddad and others relative to creating intensive stabilization and treatment units within the Department of Mental Health.  Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

 

An Act relative to creating intensive stabilization and treatment units within the Department of Mental Health.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1: Chapter 19 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section at the end thereof: -

Section 25. There shall be, within the department of mental health, at least two intensive stabilization and treatment units for patients who exhibit persistently aggressive or self-destructive behavior or exhibit atypically, intensively violent behavior that requires specialized care. One unit shall be designated for men and one unit shall be designated for women. Said units shall be located at a specific and central location and be secured and physically separate from other units. These units shall provide comprehensive evaluation, stabilization and psychiatric treatment which shall include, but not be limited to: violence assessments, behavioral management consultation, interpersonal conflict resolution strategies, critical incident de-briefings and transfer evaluations. These units shall include appropriate staffing levels to address the needs of the patient population with an interdisciplinary staff, including but not limited to registered nurses, clinical social workers, mental health workers, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and rehabilitation specialists, who have undergone specialized training to work effectively with this patient population. Upon behavior stabilization, the staff on the unit shall develop a plan for the safe and timely transfer of the patient out of the intensive stabilization and treatment unit.