Effective 7/1/2023

63M-7-303.  Duties of council.

(1)  The Utah Substance Use and Mental Health Advisory Council shall:

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Terms Used In Utah Code 63M-7-303 v2

  • council: means the Utah Substance Use and Mental Health Advisory Council created in this section. See Utah Code 63M-7-301
  • Intellectual disability: means a significant, subaverage general intellectual functioning that:Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • 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)  provide leadership and generate unity for Utah’s ongoing efforts to reduce and eliminate the impact of substance use and mental health disorders in Utah through a comprehensive and evidence-based prevention, treatment, and justice strategy;

(b)  recommend and coordinate the creation, dissemination, and implementation of statewide policies to address substance use and mental health disorders;

(c)  facilitate planning for a balanced continuum of substance use and mental health disorder prevention, treatment, and justice services;

(d)  promote collaboration and mutually beneficial public and private partnerships;

(e)  coordinate recommendations made by any committee created under Section 63M-7-302;

(f)  analyze and provide an objective assessment of all proposed legislation concerning substance use, mental health, forensic mental health, and related issues;

(g)  coordinate the implementation of Section 77-18-104 and related provisions in Subsections 77-18-103(2)(c) and (d), as provided in Section 63M-7-305;

(h)  comply with Section 32B-2-306;

(i)  oversee coordination for the funding, implementation, and evaluation of suicide prevention efforts described in Section 26B-5-611;

(j)  advise the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the state hospital admissions policy for individuals in the custody of the Department of Corrections;

(k)  regarding the interaction between an individual with a mental illness or an intellectual disability and the civil commitment system, criminal justice system, or juvenile justice system:

(i)  promote communication between and coordination among all agencies interacting with the individual;

(ii)  study, evaluate, and recommend changes to laws and procedures;

(iii)  identify and promote the implementation of specific policies and programs to deal fairly and efficiently with the individual; and

(iv)  promote judicial education;

(l)  study the long-term need for adult patient staffed beds at the state hospital, including:

(i)  the total number of staffed beds currently in use at the state hospital;

(ii)  the current staffed bed capacity at the state hospital;

(iii)  the projected total number of staffed beds needed in the adult general psychiatric unit of the state hospital over the next three, five, and 10 years based on:

(A)  the state’s current and projected population growth;

(B)  current access to mental health resources in the community; and

(C)  any other factors the council finds relevant to projecting the total number of staffed beds; and

(iv)  the cost associated with the projected total number of staffed beds described in Subsection (1)(l)(iii); and

(m)  each year report on whether the pay of the state hospital’s employees is adequate based on market conditions.

(2)  The council shall meet quarterly or more frequently as determined necessary by the chair.

(3)  The council shall report:

(a)  with the assistance and staff support from the state hospital, regarding the items described in Subsections (1)(l) and (m), including any recommendations, to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee before October 1 of each year; and

(b)  any other recommendations annually to the commission, the governor, the Legislature, and the Judicial Council.

Amended by Chapter 266, 2023 General Session
Amended by Chapter 330, 2023 General Session
Amended by Chapter 330, 2023 General Session, (Coordination Clause)
Amended by Chapter 534, 2023 General Session