Section 219: Commission on community behavioral health promotion and prevention
Section 219. (a) There shall be a commission on community behavioral health promotion and prevention located within, but not subject to the control of, the executive office of health and human services. The commission shall work to promote positive mental, emotional and behavioral health and early intervention for persons with a mental illness, and to prevent substance use disorders among residents of the commonwealth.
(b)(1) The commission shall consist of 21 members, as follows: the secretary of health and human services or a designee, who shall serve as the chair; the commissioner of mental health or a designee; the commissioner of public health or a designee; the chief justice of the trial court or a designee; the director of the center for health information and analysis or a designee; the house chair of the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery; the senate chair of the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery; 1 person appointed by the speaker of the house; 1 person appointed by the senate president; 1 person appointed by the house minority leader; 1 person appointed by the senate minority leader; and 1 representative from each of the following 10 organizations: the Association for Behavioral Healthcare, Inc.; the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers, Inc.; the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, Inc.; the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery, Inc.; the Massachusetts Public Health Association; the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts, Inc.; the Social–Emotional Learning Alliance for Massachusetts, Inc.; the Freedman Center at William James College; and the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, Inc.
(2) Members of the commission shall serve for a term of 4 years, without compensation. Any member shall be eligible for reappointment. Vacancies shall be filled in accordance with paragraph (1) for the remainder of the unexpired term. Any member who is appointed by the governor may be removed by the governor for cause.
(c) The commission may establish advisory committees to assist its work.
(d) The commission shall:
(1) promote an understanding of: (i) the science of prevention; (ii) population health; (iii) risk and protective factors; (iv) social determinants of health; (v) evidence-based programming and policymaking; (vi) health equity; and (vii) trauma-informed care; provided that the commission may use, as a guide for its work, the recommendations of the report of the special commission on behavioral health promotion and upstream prevention established pursuant to section 193 of chapter 133 of the acts of 2016;
(2) consult with the secretary of health and human services on grants from the community behavioral health promotion and prevention trust fund established in section 35EEE of chapter 10;
(3) collaborate, as appropriate, with other active state commissions, including but not limited to the safe and supportive schools commission, the Ellen Story commission on postpartum depression and the commission on autism;
(4) make recommendations to the legislature that: (i) promote behavioral health and prevention issues at the universal, selective and indicated levels; (ii) strengthen community or state-level promotion and prevention systems; advance the identification, selection and funding of evidence-based programs, practices or systems designed to promote behavioral health and early intervention for persons with a mental illness and to prevent substance use disorders; and (iv) reduce healthcare and other public costs through evidence-based promotion and prevention; provided that the commission may use state and local prevalence and cost data to ensure commission recommendations are data-informed and address risks at the universal, selective and indicated levels of prevention;
(5) facilitate the development of interagency initiatives that: (i) are informed by the science of promotion and prevention; (ii) advance health equity and trauma-responsive care; and (iii) address the social determinants of health;
(6) develop and implement a comprehensive plan to strengthen community and state-level promotion programming and infrastructure through training, technical assistance, resource development and dissemination and other initiatives;
(7) advance the identification and dissemination of evidence-based practices designed to further promote behavioral health and the provision of supportive behavioral health services and programming to address substance use conditions and to prevent violence through trauma-responsive intervention and rehabilitation;
(8) collect and analyze data measuring population-based indicators of behavioral health from existing data sources, track changes over time and make programming and policy recommendations to address the needs of populations at greatest risk;
(9) coordinate behavioral health promotion and wellness programs, campaigns and initiatives;
(10) hold public hearings and meetings to accept comment from the public and to seek advice from experts, including, but not limited to, those in the fields of neuroscience, public health, behavioral health, education and prevention science;
(11) serve as an advisory board to the office of behavioral health promotion established in section 16DD of chapter 6A; and
(12) submit an annual report to the legislature as provided in subsection (e) on the state of preventing substance use and promoting behavioral health in the commonwealth.
(e) Annually, not later than March 1, the commission shall file a report with the joint committee on health care financing and the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery on its activities and any recommendations. The commission shall monitor the implementation of its recommendations and update recommendations to reflect current science and evidence-based practices.