SF 2787

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 04/04/2019 04:04pm

A bill for an act
relating to human services; establishing a law enforcement and mental health
co-response pilot project; requiring a report; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin HENNEPIN COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH
CO-RESPONSE PILOT PROJECT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Project establishment. new text end

new text begin (a) A mental health co-response pilot project is
established from July 1, 2019, to January 1, 2023, to serve all locations in Hennepin County
that do not have this service in which mental health co-response teams comprised of one
law enforcement officer and one mental health co-responder respond to calls involving
persons with mental health needs.
new text end

new text begin (b) The mental health co-response teams must be embedded within the Hennepin County
Sheriff's Office to improve service to a vulnerable population and create critical systems
improvements and outcomes when law enforcement officers contact persons in mental
health crisis, and conduct additional follow-up contact and other preventative work for
persons contacted. Mental health co-response teams may respond to calls from other law
enforcement agencies in Hennepin County. Mental health co-responders may assist law
enforcement officers other than their co-response team member on scene or by remote
communication. Mental health co-responders may provide intra-agency and interagency
trainings to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the mental health co-response pilot
project.
new text end

new text begin (c) A mental health co-responder shall be either a direct employee of, or commissioned
by, the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department and shall be
qualified as a mental health professional or mental health practitioner under Minnesota
Statutes, section 245.462. The Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health
Department and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office shall jointly administer the pilot
project as county partners.
new text end

new text begin (d) For purposes of this section, "county partners" refers to the Hennepin County Human
Services and Public Health Department and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Project implementation. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of human services, in consultation
with the commissioner of public safety, shall develop, approve, and monitor implementation
of the mental health co-response pilot project by the county partners.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin County partner duties. new text end

new text begin (a) Before implementation of the pilot project, the
county partners shall:
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new text begin (1) create an implementation plan, in consultation with issue experts at the Council of
State Governments' Law Enforcement Mental Health Learning Site at the Houston, Texas
Police Department or the Co-Response Training and Tactical Assistance Center in Harvard,
Massachusetts, operated by Advocates, Inc.;
new text end

new text begin (2) complete the preliminary planning process and project design by September 1, 2019,
and, if approved by the commissioner of human services, enter into agreements governing
the operation of the pilot project with the commissioner of human services. The agreements
must identify metrics for project evaluation and measuring impact, and include timelines
for implementation;
new text end

new text begin (3) develop and agree on, in consultation with the commissioner of public safety, a
standardized process for responding to calls from other law enforcement agencies in Hennepin
County;
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new text begin (4) develop and agree on a process to review usage of mental health co-responder services.
The review process must be described in the agreements governing the operation of the
pilot project; and
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new text begin (5) seek to partner with an academic research group to assist with preparation for data
gathering and analysis and to prepare a final project evaluation.
new text end

new text begin (b) During the pilot project, the county partners shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) provide each mental health co-responder with direct supervision from the Hennepin
County Human Services and Public Health Department that is substantially equivalent to
the supervision for other county mobile mental health crisis responders, including staff
support, employee review, employee mentoring, employee training, work scheduling, and
work policies;
new text end

new text begin (2) hold monthly operations meetings attended by one or more of each of the following
persons working within the pilot project: law enforcement supervisors, county health
department supervisors, specialty co-responder officers or deputies, and mental health
co-responders;
new text end

new text begin (3) maintain transparency and responsiveness to stakeholders by having a representative
of both the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the Hennepin County Human Services
and Public Health Department jointly:
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new text begin (i) provide progress reports to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners at a public
meeting at least twice a year;
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new text begin (ii) hold public listening sessions to gather community feedback at least twice a year;
and
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new text begin (iii) present to the Hennepin County Adult Mental Health Advisory Council at least once
per year; and
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new text begin (4) create a working group of stakeholders and pilot project participants to meet quarterly
for the duration of the pilot project.
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new text begin (c) The working group established under paragraph (b), clause (4), must provide
information necessary to evaluate the pilot project in accordance with the criteria and
objectives in subdivision 5. The working group must include:
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new text begin (i) up to two of each of the following persons working within the pilot project: mental
health co-responders, specialty co-responder officers or deputies, and county health
department supervisors;
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new text begin (ii) six current appointees to the Hennepin County Adult Mental Health Advisory Board
or Hennepin County citizens who have multiple direct or familial experiences with law
enforcement response to mental health-related calls; and
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new text begin (iii) at least one member of the academic research group tasked with researching project
outcomes under subdivision 5.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Project administration. new text end

new text begin The county partners administering the pilot project
shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) administer the pilot project in a manner consistent with the objectives described in
this section;
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new text begin (2) ensure stewardship of state funding for purposes of the pilot project;
new text end

new text begin (3) provide timely and pertinent information as negotiated in agreements governing
operation of the pilot project with the commissioner of human services; and
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new text begin (4) require mental health co-responders to: (i) satisfy the education, training, and
supervision requirements for mobile mental health crisis response under Minnesota Statutes,
section 256B.0624; (ii) have the education and training required to perform a mental health
crisis assessment, create a crisis treatment plan, and address a co-occurring substance use
disorder on scene as required under Minnesota Statutes, section 256B.0624, subdivision 2,
paragraph (d); and (iii) be qualified as a mental health professional or mental health
practitioner under Minnesota Statutes, section 245.462. In addition to the on scene mental
health co-responder, the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department
must make a second mental health professional available by phone or radio during responses.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Project evaluation and report. new text end

new text begin By February 1, 2023, Hennepin County shall,
in conjunction with an academic research group, evaluate the pilot project and report the
evaluation results to the commissioner of human services and the chairs and ranking minority
members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over mental health issues. The
report shall explain the metrics used for project evaluation and measuring impact and include
conclusions and recommendations on the following:
new text end

new text begin (1) reducing the number and likelihood of emergency room referrals;
new text end

new text begin (2) reducing the number of persons with mental illness incarcerated in the Hennepin
County jail;
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new text begin (3) reducing the number of transports to provider facilities by providing on scene care;
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new text begin (4) reducing law enforcement contacts with frequent presenters;
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new text begin (5) documenting incidents in which mental health co-responders facilitated de-escalation
and the avoidance of use of force;
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new text begin (6) improving collaboration between law enforcement agencies and mental health provider
systems;
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new text begin (7) reducing the need for 72-hour transport holds under Minnesota Statutes, section
253B.05, subdivision 2b;
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new text begin (8) reducing the number of qualifying persons in custody past the permissible 48-hour
period under Minnesota Statutes, section 253B.10, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), clause (4);
new text end

new text begin (9) increasing the number of crisis plans developed and loaded into emergency call
management systems;
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new text begin (10) improving public perceptions regarding quality assurance, sense of safety, reduction
in law enforcement use of force, preparedness, effectiveness, and satisfaction with outcomes
when law enforcement contacts persons in mental health crisis;
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new text begin (11) improving law enforcement perceptions regarding improved service, greater
efficiency, reduced criminal justice system burdens, and positive effects on officers;
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new text begin (12) increasing referrals to behavioral health or other service providers;
new text end

new text begin (13) periodic follow-up contact with subjects to document long-term outcomes for
persons who had a significant contact with the mental health co-responder team; and
new text end

new text begin (14) the pilot project's success in achieving the applicable recommendations in the 2016
Governor's Task Force on Mental Health final report and the State Advisory Council on
Mental Health's 2016 report to the governor and legislature.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Discontinuation. new text end

new text begin Either county partner may discontinue participation in the
pilot project for any reason 30 days after providing written notice to the other county partner,
the commissioner of human services, and the commissioner of public safety.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $640,000 in fiscal year 2020 and $640,000 in fiscal year 2021 are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of human services for a grant to Hennepin County for
four mental health co-response teams each comprised of one law enforcement officer and
one mental health co-responder. The base for this appropriation is $640,000 in fiscal year
2022 and $640,000 in fiscal year 2023. For fiscal year 2024 and thereafter the base funding
for this program is $0 each year. This appropriation does not cancel but is available until
June 30, 2023.
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Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $50,000 in fiscal year 2020 and $50,000 in fiscal year 2021 are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of human services for a grant to Hennepin County for
retaining an academic research group to assist with evaluating the mental health co-response
pilot project as described in section 1, subdivision 5. The base for this appropriation is
$50,000 in fiscal year 2022 and $50,000 in fiscal year 2023. For fiscal year 2024 and
thereafter the base funding for this program is $0 each year. This appropriation does not
cancel but is available until June 30, 2023.
new text end