SB 569

Abstract

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Department of State Police; mobile applications; mental health and public safety. Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) to develop or obtain a mental health mobile application to facilitate the provision of crisis intervention services by licensed clinicians to individuals in the Commonwealth through calls, texts, and online chat portals. The bill requires the mobile application to be integrated with the crisis intervention phone hotline established as part of System Transformation Excellence and Performance (STEP-VA). The Secretary of Health and Human Resources is directed to promote, market, and advertise the use of such application using existing resources.The bill also requires the Department of State Police, in coordination with the Virginia Fusion Intelligence Center, to (i) develop or obtain a public safety mobile application to enable individuals in the Commonwealth to furnish confidential tips to the Department of State Police through text, audio, images, or video concerning a suspected, anticipated, or completed criminal violation or a school-related safety concern and (ii) develop a referral system to ensure that such confidential tips are referred to the appropriate law-enforcement agency, school board, threat assessment team, or other relevant entity. The Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security is directed to promote, market, and advertise the use of such application using existing resources.The provisions of the bill related to an application developed by DBHDS have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2021. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services;Department of State Police; mobile applications; mental health and publicsafety. Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services(DBHDS) to develop or obtain a mental health mobile application to facilitatethe provision of crisis intervention services by licensed clinicians toindividuals in the Commonwealth through calls, texts, and online chat portals.The bill requires the mobile application to be integrated with the crisisintervention phone hotline administered by a third-party provider undercontract with the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) and requiresDMAS to provide DBHDS with data and other information necessary to ensure suchintegration. The Secretary of Health and Human Resources is directed topromote, market, and advertise the use of such application.The bill also requires the Department of State Police, incoordination with the Virginia Fusion Intelligence Center, to (i) develop orobtain a public safety mobile application to enable individuals in theCommonwealth to furnish confidential tips to the Department of State Policethrough text, audio, images, or video concerning a suspected, anticipated, orcompleted criminal violation or a school-related safety concern and (ii)develop a referral system to ensure that such confidential tips are referred tothe appropriate law-enforcement agency, school board, threat assessment team,or other relevant entity. The Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Securityis directed to promote, market, and advertise the use of such application.The bill directs DBHDS and the Department of State Police tocoordinate the development or procurement of one comprehensive mobileapplication or separate mobile applications.