An Act To Create 4 Regional Mental Health Receiving Centers
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0803
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: WARREN, BELLOWS, BEEBE-CENTER, DUNPHY, GRAMLICH, HARNETT, PERRY, RECKITT, SHARPE, TALBOT ROSS

Legislative Document
No. 803
H.P. 591
House of Representatives, February 12, 2019
An Act To Create 4 Regional Mental Health Receiving Centers
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative WARREN of Hallowell.
Cosponsored by Senator BELLOWS of Kennebec and
Representatives: BEEBE-CENTER of Rockland, DUNPHY of Old Town, GRAMLICH of Old 
Orchard Beach, HARNETT of Gardiner, PERRY of Calais, RECKITT of South Portland, 
SHARPE of Durham, TALBOT ROSS of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  34-B MRSA c. 3, sub-c. 3, art. 3 is enacted to read:
ARTICLE 3
CRISIS INTERVENTION CENTERS
§3631.  Definitions
As used in this article, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings.
1.  Behavioral health professional.  "Behavioral health professional" means a 
physician licensed under Title 32, chapter 36 or 48; a physician assistant licensed under 
Title 32, chapter 36 or 48; a psychologist licensed under Title 32, chapter 56; a 
psychiatrist licensed under Title 32, chapter 36 or 48; a licensed clinical social worker 
licensed under Title 32, chapter 83; a licensed clinical professional counselor licensed 
under Title 32, chapter 119; or other mental health professional with training and 
experience in assessment of and intervention with persons with mental illness, substance 
use disorder or co-occurring disorder who the department has determined qualified to 
staff a crisis intervention center established under this article.
2.  Certified intentional peer support specialist.  "Certified intentional peer support 
specialist" means a person who has been certified as an intentional peer support specialist 
by the department in accordance with rules adopted under this article.
3.  Law enforcement officer.  "Law enforcement officer" has the same meaning as in 
Title 17-A, section 2, subsection 17.
4.  Person with co-occurring disorder.  "Person with co-occurring disorder" means 
a person with substance use disorder and mental illness.
5.  Person with mental illness.  "Person with mental illness" means a person who 
has a diagnosis of a mental illness as defined in Title 32, section 3811-A, subsection 2.
6.  Person with substance use disorder.  "Person with substance use disorder" has 
the same meaning as in Title 5, section 20003, subsection 17-A.
7.  Treatment.  "Treatment" means the broad range of emergency, outpatient, 
intermediate and inpatient services and care, including career counseling, diagnostic 
evaluation, employment, health, medical, psychiatric, psychological, recreational, 
rehabilitative, social service care, treatment and vocational services, that may be extended 
to a person with substance use disorder, mental illness or co-occurring disorder.
§3632.  Crisis intervention centers established
The commissioner shall operate and maintain 4 crisis intervention centers to provide 
crisis intervention and psychiatric emergency services to persons with substance use 
disorder, mental illness or co-occurring disorder who are in crisis.
§3633.  Director of crisis intervention center
The commissioner shall appoint a director for each crisis intervention center 
established in section 3632 who must be a behavioral health professional and have at least 
a master's degree in a relevant discipline.
§3634.  Services provided by a crisis intervention center
A crisis intervention center established in section 3632:
1.  Facility.  Shall provide crisis intervention and psychiatric emergency services 
based in a facility that provides treatment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to persons with 
substance use disorder, mental illness or co-occurring disorder who are in crisis;
2.  Staffing.  Must be staffed with sufficient behavioral health professionals and 
certified intentional peer support specialists to serve the admitted persons under 
subsection 3; and
3.  Admission.  Shall admit:
A.  On an informal, voluntary basis for care and treatment, any person desiring 
admission or the adult ward of a legally appointed guardian;
B.  A person committed involuntarily to the crisis intervention center by the State; 
and
C.  A person transported to the crisis intervention center by a law enforcement officer 
whose  jurisdiction includes the center.
§3635.  Rules
The department shall adopt rules necessary to implement this article, which must 
include, at a minimum, certification requirements for the crisis intervention centers 
established in section 3632 and intentional peer support specialists; the location of the 4 
crisis intervention centers to ensure regional accessibility throughout the State; admission 
and discharge standards for the crisis intervention centers; requirements for notice of a 
person's admission; availability of and patients' access to treatment; the staffing model for 
the crisis intervention centers, with specific descriptions of staffing levels, roles and 
responsibilities; and patient rights protections.  To the extent possible, the rules must be 
consistent with chapter 1, subchapter 8; chapter 3, subchapter 4; and Title 5, chapter 511.  
Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes 4 crisis intervention centers regionally throughout the State that 
will be operated and maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services.  It 
requires the crisis intervention centers to provide treatment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 
and to provide sufficient staffing.  It provides that the Department of Health and Human 
Services must adopt rules that include the certification of the crisis intervention centers; 
the location of the crisis intervention centers to ensure regional accessibility throughout 
the State; admission and discharge standards; requirements for notice of a person's 
admission; availability of and patients' access to treatment; the staffing model, with 
specific descriptions of staffing levels, roles and responsibilities; and patient rights 
protections; and that, to the extent possible, the rules must be consistent with the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 511; Title 34-B, chapter 1, subchapter 8; and Title 34-B, 
chapter 3, subchapter 4.