26B-3-213.  Medicaid waiver for mental health crisis lines and mobile crisis outreach teams.

(1)  As used in this section:

Terms Used In Utah Code 26B-3-213

  • CMS: means the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. See Utah Code 26B-3-101
  • Medicaid program: means the state program for medical assistance for persons who are eligible under the state plan adopted pursuant to Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act. See Utah Code 26B-3-101
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
(a)  “Local mental health crisis line” means the same as that term is defined in Section 26B-5-610.

(b)  “Mental health crisis” means:

(i)  a mental health condition that manifests itself in an individual by symptoms of sufficient severity that a prudent layperson who possesses an average knowledge of mental health issues could reasonably expect the absence of immediate attention or intervention to result in:

(A)  serious danger to the individual’s health or well-being; or

(B)  a danger to the health or well-being of others; or

(ii)  a mental health condition that, in the opinion of a mental health therapist or the therapist’s designee, requires direct professional observation or the intervention of a mental health therapist.

(c) 

(i)  “Mental health crisis services” means direct mental health services and on-site intervention that a mobile crisis outreach team provides to an individual suffering from a mental health crisis, including the provision of safety and care plans, prolonged mental health services for up to 90 days, and referrals to other community resources.

(ii)  “Mental health crisis services” includes:

(A)  local mental health crisis lines; and

(B)  the statewide mental health crisis line.

(d)  “Mental health therapist” means the same as that term is defined in Section 58-60-102.

(e)  “Mobile crisis outreach team” or “MCOT” means a mobile team of medical and mental health professionals that, in coordination with local law enforcement and emergency medical service personnel, provides mental health crisis services.

(f)  “Statewide mental health crisis line” means the same as that term is defined in Section 26B-5-610.

(2)  In consultation with the Behavioral Health Crisis Response Commission created in Section 63C-18-202, the department shall develop a proposal to amend the state Medicaid plan to include mental health crisis services, including the statewide mental health crisis line, local mental health crisis lines, and mobile crisis outreach teams.

(3)  By January 1, 2019, the department shall apply for a Medicaid waiver with CMS, if necessary to implement, within the state Medicaid program, the mental health crisis services described in Subsection (2).

Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 306, 2023 General Session