An Act To Strengthen Statewide Mental Health Peer Support, Crisis Intervention Mobile Response and Crisis Stabilization Unit Services and To Allow E-9-1-1 To Dispatch Using the Crisis System
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1586
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: WARREN

Legislative Document
No. 1586
H.P. 1175
House of Representatives, April 27, 2021
An Act To Strengthen Statewide Mental Health Peer Support, Crisis 
Intervention Mobile Response and Crisis Stabilization Unit Services 
and To Allow E-9-1-1 To Dispatch Using the Crisis System
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative WARREN of Hallowell.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
PART A
Sec. A-1.  Strengthen mental health peer support services.  The Department 
of Health and Human Services shall strengthen mental health peer support services by 
providing increased resources to the statewide crisis lines and statewide "warmlines" in 
order to provide effective, efficient services in the least restrictive manner 24 hours a day, 
days a week.  The department shall work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that 
the crisis lines and warmlines are effective resources for law enforcement officers 
throughout the State.  The department shall work with the Department of Labor to access 
grant funding to provide training and workforce development for mental health peer 
support specialists who provide services through crisis lines and warmlines.
Sec. A-2.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Mental Health Services - Community Z198
Initiative: Provides funding for statewide crisis lines and statewide "warmlines" 24 hours a 
day, 7 days a week to strengthen mental health peer support services.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
All Other
$45,469
$45,469
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$45,469
$45,469
PART B
Sec. B-1.  Strengthen mental health crisis intervention mobile response 
services.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall strengthen mental health 
crisis intervention mobile response services in order to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 
days a week.  The department shall provide for certified intentional peer support specialists 
and recovery coaches, mental health law enforcement officer liaisons colocated in law 
enforcement agencies and mental health professionals with crisis services expertise at 
E-9-1-1 dispatch centers and for the addition of community debriefing and critical incident 
response services to the existing crisis services response system. The department shall also 
provide for ancillary services that are required components of mental health crisis 
intervention mobile response services.  The funding for these ancillary services must 
include travel costs to and from mobile face-to-face assessments not to exceed 44¢ per 
mile, travel time to and from mobile face-to-face assessments and reimbursement for time 
spent on telephone conferences with clients. Beginning October 1, 2021, when a contract 
for mental health crisis intervention mobile response services is entered into or renewed, 
the department shall include in each contract a mechanism for cost settlement.  Beginning 
October 1, 2021, the department shall provide reimbursement for peer support services 
provided as mental health crisis intervention mobile response services under the MaineCare 
program.
Sec. B-2.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Mental Health Services - Community Z198
Initiative: Provides funding to strengthen mental health crisis intervention mobile response 
services in order to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and to provide funding 
for mobile outreach peer support specialists.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
All Other
$808,256
$808,256
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$808,256
$808,256
Mental Health Services - Community Z198
Initiative: Provides funding to strengthen mental health crisis intervention mobile response 
services in order to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and to provide funding 
for certified intentional peer support specialists and recovery coaches.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
All Other
$406,044
$406,044
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$406,044
$406,044
Mental Health Services - Community Z198
Initiative: Provides funding to strengthen mental health crisis intervention mobile response 
services in order to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and to provide funding 
for mental health law enforcement officer liaisons colocated in law enforcement agencies.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
All Other
$554,922
$554,922
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$554,922
$554,922
Mental Health Services - Community Z198
Initiative: Provides funding to strengthen mental health crisis intervention mobile response 
services in order to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and to provide funding 
for community debriefing and critical incident response services.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
All Other
$113,674
$113,674
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$113,674
$113,674
Mental Health Services - Community Z198
Initiative: Provides funding to strengthen mental health crisis intervention mobile response 
services in order to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and to provide funding 
for mental health law enforcement officer liaisons colocated in law enforcement agencies 
and mental health professionals with crisis services expertise at E-9-1-1 dispatch centers.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
All Other
$470,610
$470,610
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$470,610
$470,610
Mental Health Services - Community Z198
Initiative: Provides funding to strengthen mental health crisis intervention mobile response 
services in order to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and to provide funding 
for ancillary services that are required components of mental health crisis intervention 
mobile response services.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
All Other
$636,575
$636,575
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$636,575
$636,575
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2021-22
2022-23
GENERAL FUND
$2,990,081
$2,990,081
__________
__________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$2,990,081
$2,990,081
PART C
Sec. C-1.  Strengthen mental health crisis stabilization unit services.  The 
Department of Health and Human Services shall strengthen mental health crisis 
stabilization unit services in order to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The 
department shall provide for certified intentional peer support specialists and recovery 
coaches as part of mental health crisis stabilization unit services and such other resources 
and services as are determined to be needed in each public health district. The department 
shall work with organizations providing mental health crisis stabilization unit services, law 
enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to determine the resources available in each 
public health district and the resources and services needed.   Beginning October 1, 2021, 
the department shall provide reimbursement for peer support services provided as mental 
health crisis stabilization unit services under the MaineCare program.
Sec. C-2.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Mental Health Services - Community Z198
Initiative: Provides funding to strengthen mental health crisis stabilization unit services in 
order to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and to provide funding for certified 
intentional peer support specialists and recovery coaches as part of mental health crisis 
stabilization unit services and other resources and services.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
All Other
$1,265,753
$1,265,753
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$1,265,753
$1,265,753
PART D
Sec. D-1.  Strengthen mental health services through public education.  The 
Department of Health and Human Services shall strengthen mental health services through 
public education by undertaking a statewide public education campaign to educate the 
public and work with law enforcement agencies to ensure widespread knowledge of the 
availability of mental health peer support, crisis lines, crisis intervention mobile response 
and crisis stabilization unit services and the means by which members of the public and 
law enforcement agencies may access those services throughout the State.
Sec. D-2.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Mental Health Services - Community Z198
Initiative: Provides funding to strengthen mental health services by providing funding for 
a statewide public education campaign about the availability of mental health peer support, 
crisis lines, crisis intervention mobile response and crisis stabilization unit services and the 
means by which members of the public and law enforcement agencies may access those 
services throughout the State.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
All Other
$100,000
$100,000
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$100,000
$100,000
SUMMARY
This bill provides funding for mental health services in the 8 public health districts.  
These services include peer support, crisis lines, crisis intervention mobile response and 
crisis stabilization unit services.  The bill also provides funding for ancillary services for 
mobile response services, including necessary travel and telephone conferences with 
clients.  The bill also provides funding for a public education campaign about the 
availability of mental health peer support, crisis lines, crisis intervention mobile response 
and crisis stabilization unit services and the means by which members of the public and 
law enforcement agencies may access those services throughout the State. The bill also 
creates a framework whereby the E-9-1-1 system can dispatch using the crisis system in 
response to a mental health emergency.