39-1603. Powers and duties of secretary for aging and disability services. In addition to powers and duties otherwise provided by law, the secretary shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) To function as the sole state agency to develop a comprehensive plan to meet the needs of persons who have mental illness;

(b) to evaluate and coordinate all programs, services and facilities for persons who have mental illness presently provided by agencies receiving state and federal funds and to make appropriate recommendations regarding such services, programs and facilities to the governor and the legislature;

(c) to evaluate all programs, services and facilities within the state for persons who have mental illness and determine the extent to which present public or private programs, services and facilities meet the needs of such persons;

(d) to solicit, accept, hold and administer on behalf of the state any grants, devises or bequests of money, securities or property to the state of Kansas for services to persons who have mental illness or purposes related thereto;

(e) to provide consultation and assistance to communities and groups developing local and area services for persons who have mental illness;

(f) to assist in the provision of services for persons who are mentally ill in local communities whenever possible, with primary control and responsibility for the provision of services with mental health centers, and to assure that such services are provided in the least restrictive environment;

(g) to adopt rules and regulations for targeted population members which provide that, within the limits of appropriations therefor, no person shall be inappropriately denied necessary mental health services from any mental health center or state psychiatric hospital and that each targeted population member shall be provided such services in the least restrictive manner;

(h) to establish and implement policies and procedures within the programs and activities of the Kansas department for aging and disability services so that funds from the state shall follow persons who are mentally ill from state facilities into community programs;

(i) to provide the least restrictive treatment and most appropriate community based care as well as rehabilitation for Kansas residents who are mentally ill persons through coordinated utilization of the existing network of mental health centers and state psychiatric hospitals;

(j) to establish standards for the provision of community support services and for other community based mental health services provided by mental health centers in consultation with representatives of mental health centers, consumers of mental health services and family members of consumers of mental health services;

(k) to assure the establishment of specialized programs within each mental health center throughout the state in order to provide appropriate care for designated targeted population members;

(l) to establish service requirements for programs within mental health centers which will ensure that targeted population members receive the most effective community treatment possible;

(m) to ensure the development and continuation of high quality community based mental health services, including programs for targeted population members, in each mental health center service delivery area through the provision of technical assistance, consultation and funding;

(n) to establish standards for the provision of community based mental health programs through community programs in consultation with representatives of mental health centers, private and public service providers, families and consumer advocates;

(o) to monitor the establishment and the continuing operation of all state funded community based mental health services to ensure that programs providing these services comply with established standards;

(p) to review and approve the annual coordinated services plan of each mental health center during each fiscal year ending after June 30, 1991, and to withhold state funds from any mental health center which is not being administered substantially in accordance with the provisions of the annual coordinated services plan and budget submitted to the secretary by the mental health center;

(q) to establish state policies for the disbursement of federal funds within the state and for state administration of federal programs providing services or other assistance to persons who have mental illness consistent with relevant federal law, rules and regulations, policies and procedures;

(r) to adopt rules and regulations to ensure the protection of persons receiving mental health services, which shall include an appeal procedure at the state and local levels;

(s) to establish procedures and systems to evaluate the results and outcomes pursuant to K.S.A. 39-1610, and amendments thereto, and as otherwise provided for under this act; and

(t) to adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to administer the provisions of K.S.A. 39-1601 through 39-1612, and amendments thereto, which are consistent with appropriations available for the administration of such provisions.

History: L. 1990, ch. 92, § 3; L. 2014, ch. 115, § 177; July 1.