1. A regional behavioral health policy board is hereby created for each behavioral health region.

2. Each policy board consists of not less than 7 members and not more than 13 members appointed pursuant to this section.

3. The Speaker of the Assembly shall appoint to each policy board one member who represents the criminal justice system.

4. The Majority Leader of the Senate shall appoint to each policy board one member who represents law enforcement agencies and who has experience with and knowledge of matters relating to persons in need of behavioral health services.

5. The Governor shall appoint to each policy board one member who has extensive experience in the delivery of social services in the field of behavioral health, including, without limitation, directors or officers of social service agencies in the behavioral health region.

6. The Legislative Commission shall appoint to each policy board one member who is a Legislator.

7. The Administrator shall appoint to each policy board:

(a) One member who represents the interests of hospitals, residential long-term care facilities or facilities that provide acute inpatient behavioral health services;

(b) One member who represents the interests of administrators or counselors who are employed at facilities for the treatment of alcohol or other substance use disorders; and

(c) One member who represents providers of emergency medical services or fire services and who has experience providing emergency services to behavioral health patients, which may include, without limitation, a paramedic or physician.

8. The members appointed to a policy board pursuant to subsections 2 to 7, inclusive, may appoint to the policy board:

(a) One member who represents the interests of community-based organizations which provide behavioral health services.

(b) One member who represents the interests of owners or administrators of residential treatment facilities, transitional housing or other housing for persons with a mental illness or persons who have an alcohol or other substance use disorder.

(c) One member who is a health officer of a county or who holds a position with similar duties or, if no such person is available, an employee of a city, county or Indian tribe who has experience in the field of public health.

(d) One member who is a psychiatrist or a psychologist who holds the degree of doctor of psychology, has clinical experience and is licensed to practice in this State or, if no such person is available, a provider of health care, as defined in NRS 629.031, who has experience working with persons with a mental illness or persons who have an alcohol or other substance use disorder.

(e) One member who represents private or public insurers who offer coverage for behavioral health services or, if no such person is available, another person who has experience in the field of insurance or working with insurers.

(f) One member who has received behavioral health services in this State, including, without limitation, services for substance use disorders, or a family member of such a person or, if such a person is not available, a person who represents the interests of behavioral health patients or the families of behavioral health patients.

9. If the members of a policy board described in subsections 2 to 7, inclusive, appoint both a member described in paragraph (a) of subsection 8 and a member described in paragraph (b) of subsection 8, at least one of those members must be a behavioral health professional who has experience in evaluating and treating children.

10. In making appointments, preference must be given to persons who reside in the behavioral health region served by the policy board.

11. Each member of the policy board serves without compensation for a term of 2 years and may be reappointed. The appointing authority may remove a member from the policy board if the appointing authority determines the member has neglected his or her duties.

12. If a vacancy occurs during the term of:

(a) A member who was appointed pursuant to subsection 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, the vacancy must be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(b) A member who was appointed pursuant to subsection 7, the policy board shall, by majority vote, appoint a member to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(c) A member who was appointed pursuant to subsection 8, the policy board may, by majority vote, appoint a member to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term.

13. Each policy board shall meet not later than 60 days after all appointments to such board have been made and elect one member of the policy board to act as the Chair for the biennium. The Director of the Department or his or her designee shall preside over the election of the Chair for each policy board at each board’s first meeting. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 14, each policy board shall thereafter meet at least quarterly at the call of the Chair.

14. A policy board is not required to meet during any legislative session. If a policy board meets during a legislative session, the member of the policy board who is a Legislator is excused from attendance.

15. As used in this section, “social services agency” means any public agency or organization that provides social services in this State, including, without limitation, welfare and health care services.

(Added to NRS by 2017, 2991; A 2019, 2045)