§1219. State strategy for preventing imprisonment of persons with serious mental illness

1.  Development of state strategy.  The department shall develop a comprehensive state strategy for preventing the inappropriate incarceration of seriously mentally ill individuals and for diverting those individuals away from the criminal justice system. This strategy must be developed with the active participation of other agencies and providers responsible for serving persons with serious mental illness, including representatives of community mental health centers, area shelters, other community providers, consumers of services and their families, providers of inpatient mental health services, advocates for consumers of mental health services, sheriffs' departments and the Department of Public Safety.

[PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. AA, §85 (AMD).]

2.  Components of strategy.  The state strategy developed under subsection 1 must include, but is not limited to:

A. Identification of existing programs or creation of jail diversion and community mental health programs to serve persons with serious mental illness who have been charged with minor crimes that are a manifestation of their illness, including identification of financing mechanisms for the programs and the services provided;   [PL 1995, c. 431, §2 (NEW).]

B. Systems for the evaluation of serious mental illness, within 24 hours of contact with the criminal justice system, of persons charged with minor crimes and timely referral of those persons identified as seriously mentally ill to appropriate community mental health programs;   [PL 1995, c. 431, §2 (NEW).]

C. Specific mechanisms for enabling police and correctional officers to communicate and consult on a timely basis with appropriate mental health personnel about specific cases;   [PL 1995, c. 431, §2 (NEW).]

D. Plans for conducting training, in conjunction with the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, of law enforcement and correctional personnel about serious mental illness and effective methods for evaluating, treating and managing persons with serious mental illness;   [PL 1995, c. 431, §2 (NEW).]

E. Plans for training mental health professionals who participate in state-funded, educational training programs to work with persons with serious mental illness in correctional facilities, including, but not limited to, on-site field experience in correctional facilities or jail diversion programs; and   [PL 1995, c. 431, §2 (NEW).]

F. Plans for providing comprehensive treatment, services and support to persons with serious mental illness following their release from correctional facilities.   [PL 1995, c. 431, §2 (NEW).]

[PL 1995, c. 431, §2 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 1995, c. 431, §2 (NEW). PL 2003, c. 689, §B6 (REV). PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. AA, §85 (AMD).