Senate Bill S9742A

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9742A

SPONSOR: SALAZAR
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to members of a
mobile crisis team

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To ensure peers and mental health professionals are members of a mobile
crisis team.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends mental hygiene law section 36.03 to require a mobile
crisis team to include at least one behavioral health professional and,
to the extent practical, any combination of certified peer specialists,
certified recovery peer advocates, credentialed family peer advocates,
and credentialed youth peer advocates.

Section 2 sets the effective date.
              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Peer specialists, also known as peer support workers and peer support
specialists, are individuals with lived experience and sustained recov-
ery from a mental or behavioral health crisis. The role of the peer
specialist is unique in that it is based on the concept of mutuality or
sharing similar experiences. Peers offer a nonhierarchical relationship
that differs from individuals' relationships with clinicians, as well as
empathy, understanding, and hope that can be difficult for other profes-
sionals to provide. Peer support workers play a crucial role in de-esca-
lating crises, conducting non-clinical assessments, and providing advo-
cacy and support. Preliminary research suggests that including a
professionally trained peer specialist in crisis response lowers the
risk of adverse outcomes, enhances communication and collaboration, and
reduces subsequent use of crisis and emergency services.  Behavioral
health professionals are individuals with training in behavioral health.
This bill would mandate that each mobile crisis team include at least on
behavioral health professional and, to the extent practicable, peer
specialists.

 
AMENDED BILL:

The "A" print of this bill clarifies the language, ensuring that each
team shall include at least one behavioral health professional and, to
the extent practicable, peer specialists.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate.