SB 739

Abstract

Acute psychiatric bed registry; information required to be reported. Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to establish a work group to evaluate the role of, and make recommendations related to improving the structure and effectiveness of, the psychiatric bed registry in collecting and disseminating information about the availability of acute psychiatric beds in the Commonwealth. The work group shall report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions, and the Joint Subcommittee to Study Mental Health Services in the Commonwealth in the 21st Century by November 1, 2020. This bill is identical to HB 1453.

Acute psychiatric bed registry; informationrequired to be reported. Adds information about the (i) total number of licensed beds, (ii) total number of staffed beds, (iii)current bed utilization, (iv) change in bed utilization since themost recent update, (v) number of beds actually available, (vi) numberof requests for admission received since the most recent update,(vii) number of individuals admitted since the most recent update,and (vii) number of requests for admission denied since the mostrecent update and the reason for each such denial to the list ofinformation that must be submitted to the acute psychiatric bed registry(the registry) daily by each public and private inpatient psychiatricfacility and every public and private residential crisis stabilizationunit in the Commonwealth. The bill also directs the Department ofBehavioral Health and Developmental Services to create a work groupto evaluate the purpose, structure, and effectiveness of the registryand make recommendations for statutory, budgetary, or other actionsnecessary to redefine the purpose of the registry and improve its structure and effectiveness. The work group shall report its findings,conclusions, and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmenof the Senate Committee on Education and Health, House Committeeon Health, Welfare and Institutions, and the Joint Subcommittee toStudy Mental Health Services in the Commonwealth in the Twenty-FirstCentury by November 1, 2020.