71-810. Division; community-based behavioral health services; duties; reduce or discontinue regional center behavioral health services; powers and duties.

(1) The division shall encourage and facilitate the statewide development and provision of an appropriate array of community-based behavioral health services and continuum of care for the purposes of (a) providing greater access to such services and improved outcomes for consumers of such services and (b) reducing the necessity and demand for regional center behavioral health services.

(2) The division may reduce or discontinue regional center behavioral health services only if (a) appropriate community-based services or other regional center behavioral health services are available for every person receiving the regional center services that would be reduced or discontinued, (b) such services possess sufficient capacity and capability to effectively replace the service needs which otherwise would have been provided at such regional center, and (c) no further commitments, admissions, or readmissions for such services are required due to the availability of community-based services or other regional center services to replace such services.

(3) The division shall notify the Governor and the Legislature of any intended reduction or discontinuation of regional center services under this section. The notification submitted to the Legislature shall be submitted electronically. Such notice shall include detailed documentation of the community-based services or other regional center services that are being utilized to replace such services.

(4) As regional center services are reduced or discontinued under this section, the division shall make appropriate corresponding reductions in regional center personnel and other expenditures related to the provision of such services. All funding related to the provision of regional center services that are reduced or discontinued under this section shall be reallocated and expended by the division for purposes related to the statewide development and provision of community-based services.

(5) The division may establish state-operated community-based services to replace regional center services that are reduced or discontinued under this section. The division shall provide regional center employees with appropriate training and support to transition such employees into positions as may be necessary for the provision of such state-operated services.

(6) The provisions of this section are self-executing and require no further authorization or other enabling legislation.

Source