SF 3993

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 04/06/2022 10:31am

A bill for an act
relating to human services; authorizing grants to create urgency rooms for mental
health emergencies; requiring reports; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin MENTAL HEALTH URGENCY ROOM GRANTS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of human services must establish a
competitive grant program for medical providers and nonprofits seeking to become a
first-contact resource for youths having a mental health crisis through the use of urgency
rooms.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Goal. new text end

new text begin The goal of this grant program is to address emergency mental health
needs by creating urgency rooms that can be used by youths age 25 and under having a
mental health crisis as a first-contact resource instead of being admitted to a hospital
emergency room.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Eligible applicants. new text end

new text begin (a) To be eligible for a grant under this section, applicants
must be:
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new text begin (1) an existing medical provider;
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new text begin (2) a nonprofit that is in the business of providing mental health services; or
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new text begin (3) a nonprofit serving an underserved or rural community that will partner with an
existing medical provider or nonprofit that is in the business of providing mental health
services.
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new text begin (b) Applicants must have licensed mental health specialists on staff, which may include
psychiatrists, licensed therapists, and psychiatric nurses.
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new text begin (c) Applicants must have the capability to:
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new text begin (1) perform a medical evaluation and mental health evaluation upon a youth's admittance
to an urgency room; and
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new text begin (2) accommodate a youth's stay for up to 72 hours.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Applications. new text end

new text begin Entities seeking grants under this section shall apply to the
commissioner. The grant applicant must include a description of the project that the applicant
is proposing, the amount of money that the applicant is seeking, a proposed budget describing
how the applicant will spend the grant money, and how the applicant intends to meet the
goals of the program. Nonprofits that serve an underserved or rural community that are
partnering with an existing medical provider or nonprofit that is in the business of providing
mental health services must submit a joint application with the partnering entity.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Grant activities. new text end

new text begin Grantees must use grant money to create urgency rooms to
provide emergency mental health services and become a first-contact resource for youths
having a mental health crisis. Grant money uses may include funding for:
new text end

new text begin (1) expanding current space to create an urgency room;
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new text begin (2) building a new urgency room;
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new text begin (3) performing medical or mental health evaluations;
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new text begin (4) developing a care plan for the youth; or
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new text begin (5) providing recommendations for further care, either at an inpatient or outpatient
facility.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Reporting. new text end

new text begin (a) Grantees must provide an annual report to the commissioner in
a manner specified by the commissioner on the following:
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new text begin (1) how grant funds were spent;
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new text begin (2) how many youths the grantee served; and
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new text begin (3) how the grantee met the goal of the grant program.
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new text begin (b) The commissioner must provide an annual report to the chairs and ranking minority
members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over human services regarding
grant activities. This report must be made available to the public.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of
human services for mental health urgency room grants under section 1. This is a onetime
appropriation.
new text end