2023 Utah Code › Title 26B - Utah Health and Human Services Code › Chapter 5 - Health Care - Substance Use and Mental Health › Part 6 - Mental Health Intervention and Treatment Programs › Section 610 - Contracts for statewide mental health crisis line and statewide warm line -- Crisis worker and certified peer support specialist qualification or certification -- Operational standards.

Affected by 63I-1-226 on 7/1/2023
Effective 5/3/2023
26B-5-610.
Contracts for statewide mental health crisis line and statewide warm line -- Crisis worker and certified peer support specialist qualification or certification -- Operational standards.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Certified peer support specialist" means an individual who:
(i) meets the standards of qualification or certification that the division sets, in accordance with Subsection (3); and
(ii) staffs the statewide warm line under the supervision of at least one mental health therapist.
(b) "Commission" means the Behavioral Health Crisis Response Commission created in Section 63C-18-202.
(c) "Crisis worker" means an individual who:
(i) meets the standards of qualification or certification that the division sets, in accordance with Subsection (3); and
(ii) staffs the statewide mental health crisis line, the statewide warm line, or a local mental health crisis line under the supervision of at least one mental health therapist.
(d) "Local mental health crisis line" means a phone number or other response system that is:
(i) accessible within a particular geographic area of the state; and
(ii) intended to allow an individual to contact and interact with a qualified mental or behavioral health professional.
(e) "Mental health crisis" means the same as that term is defined in Section 26B-5-609.
(f) "Mental health therapist" means the same as that term is defined in Section 58-60-102.
(g) "Statewide mental health crisis line" means a statewide phone number or other response system that allows an individual to contact and interact with a qualified mental or behavioral health professional 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.
(h) "Statewide warm line" means a statewide phone number or other response system that allows an individual to contact and interact with a qualified mental or behavioral health professional or a certified peer support specialist.
(2)
(a) The division shall enter into a new contract or modify an existing contract to manage and operate, in accordance with this part, the statewide mental health crisis line and the statewide warm line.
(b) Through the contracts described in Subsection (2)(a) and in consultation with the commission, the division shall set standards of care and practice for:
(i) the mental health therapists and crisis workers who staff the statewide mental health crisis line; and
(ii) the mental health therapists, crisis workers, and certified peer support specialists who staff the statewide warm line.
(3)
(a) The division shall establish training and minimum standards for the qualification or certification of:
(i) crisis workers who staff the statewide mental health crisis line, the statewide warm line, and local mental health crisis lines; and
(ii) certified peer support specialists who staff the statewide warm line.
(b) The division may make rules, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, necessary to establish the training and minimum standards described in Subsection (3)(a).
(4) In consultation with the commission, the division shall ensure that:
(a) the following individuals are available to staff and answer calls to the statewide mental health crisis line 24 hours per day, 365 days per calendar year:
(i) mental health therapists; or
(ii) crisis workers;
(b) a sufficient amount of staff is available to ensure that when an individual calls the statewide mental health crisis line, regardless of the time, date, or number of individuals trying to simultaneously access the statewide mental health crisis line, an individual described in Subsection (4)(a) answers the call without the caller first:
(i) waiting on hold; or
(ii) being screened by an individual other than a mental health therapist or crisis worker;
(c) the statewide mental health crisis line has capacity to accept all calls that local mental health crisis lines route to the statewide mental health crisis line;
(d) the following individuals are available to staff and answer calls to the statewide warm line during the hours and days of operation set by the division under Subsection (5):
(i) mental health therapists;
(ii) crisis workers; or
(iii) certified peer support specialists;
(e) when an individual calls the statewide mental health crisis line, the individual's call may be transferred to the statewide warm line if the individual is not experiencing a mental health crisis; and
(f) when an individual calls the statewide warm line, the individual's call may be transferred to the statewide mental health crisis line if the individual is experiencing a mental health crisis.
(5) The division shall make rules, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, to establish the hours and days of operation for the statewide warm line.
Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 308, 2023 General Session