Budget Amendment ID: FY2021-S4-249

EHS 249

Department of Mental Health

Mr. Pacheco moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, in item 5095-0015, by inserting the following words:- “provided further, that the department shall maintain not less than 671 inpatient beds in its system in fiscal year 2021; provided further, that of the 671 beds, not less than 50 beds shall be continuing care inpatient beds on the campus of Taunton state hospital; provided further, that if the average number of continuing care inpatient beds operated at Taunton state hospital is less than 50 continuing care inpatient beds in any month, the department shall submit a report within 15 days after the end of that month to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery on the circumstances causing the reduced bed count; provided further, that notwithstanding the previous proviso, Taunton state hospital shall not operate less than 45 continuing care inpatient beds at any time; provided further, that within the existing appropriation, the department may operate more beds at Taunton state hospital; provided further, that the department shall operate not less than 260 adult continuing care inpatient beds at Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital; provided further, that the department shall not take action in fiscal year 2021 to reduce the number of state-operated continuing care inpatient beds or other state-operated programs at the Taunton state hospital campus or relocate administrative hospital services associated with the operation of the hospital off campus; provided further, that the department shall not enter into new vendor-operated lease agreements or expand existing vendor-operated programs; provided further, that the department shall not enter into new interagency agreements or expand existing interagency agreements, programs or facilities until the department, in conjunction with the division of capital asset management and maintenance, develops a comprehensive long-term use master plan for the campus not later than March 2, 2021 with appropriate community input that is consistent with maintaining the publicly-provided mental health services that are currently delivered on-campus at Taunton state hospital; provided further, that the plan shall include maintenance of existing affiliations with institutions of higher education and possible future relationships with those institutions and others to maintain the sustainability of Taunton state hospital; provided further, that the plan shall be consistent with maintenance of the Taunton state hospital campus as a publicly-run mental health facility and shall not prohibit the inclusion of behavioral health programs or publicly-run pilot programs to meet the needs of individuals with mental health diagnoses, behavioral health diagnoses and those dual-diagnosed on the campus as part of the comprehensive master plan; provided further, that the master plan shall be submitted to the executive office for administration and finance, the executive office of health and human services, the joint committee on mental health and substance use and recovery and the house and senate committees on ways and means; provided further, that the department may authorize on the campus of Taunton state hospital, a behavioral health emergency department relief pilot program to accept medically-stable individuals with high acuity behavioral health and dual diagnoses from emergency departments in the southeast region; provided further, that medically-stable patients presenting in an emergency department with a high acuity behavioral health condition or who have a dual diagnosis shall be transferred to the pilot program if another appropriate setting cannot be located within 4 hours of admission to the emergency department; provided further, that the pilot program shall care for patients either for 14 days following admission or until an appropriate placement is found that meets the patient’s needs, whichever is sooner; provided further, that the pilot program may be operated by the department and staffed by department registered nurses, psychiatrists and other staff as needed; provided further, that within the first 6 months following the authorization of the program by the department, in consultation with the department of public health, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Massachusetts Nurses Association and the Emergency Nurses Association shall establish a staffing plan and program protocols; provided further, that for the purposes of the pilot program, Taunton state hospital may accept patients classified under section 12 of chapter 123 of the General Laws; provided further, that the pilot program may be authorized to operate for up to 2 years, with a report to be filed by the department with the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery within 6 months after the conclusion date of the program; provided further, that the report shall evaluate the success of the program in decreasing emergency department overcrowding in the southeast region and the quality of care provided in the program; and provided further, that the report may be drafted by an independent entity, utilizing data from the department and the local hospitals in the southeast region;”.