Mississippi has enacted "The Mississippi Collaborative Response To Mental Health Act" and:
· Requires each municipal and county law enforcement agency to provide mental health first‑aid training that is evidence‑based and approved by the department of mental health. · Requires each municipal and county law enforcement agency to have at least one crisis intervention trained officer by a certain date.
· Authorizes an agency which employs less than five law enforcement officers may execute an agreement with one or more law enforcement agencies to have a crisis intervention team officer serve as the officer for that agency.
· Requires court liaisons for certain counties.
· Revises the terms of the members of the State Board of Mental Health.
· Requires each regional commission to employ or contract with an accountant to manage its finances.
· Requires the accountant to provide an annual audit in addition to other duties.
· Provides that members of the regional commission shall serve at the will and pleasure of the appointing board of supervisors.
· Requires the commissioners to attend certain trainings as a condition to remaining a commissioner.
· Requires removal of any commissioner who fails to attend certain trainings provided by the Department of Mental Health unless alternate arrangements are made.
· Requires the chancery clerk to maintain a record for the number of persons ordered for admission to a treatment facility, the number of hearings to determine whether a person should be admitted and the number of affidavits filed for purposes of admitting a person to a treatment facility.
· Revises the powers and duties of the State Board of Mental Health.
· Requires law enforcement officers to transport persons in crisis to the appropriate healthcare facility at the request of the crisis intervention team.
· Provides that on or before December 1, 2023, each county shall report to the Department of Mental Health data relating to the placement of individuals both before an involuntary civil commitment proceeding, and after a hearing where an involuntary commitment order has been entered.
· Provides that after making expenditures of at least $2,500,000 each year to provide funding for county and municipal law enforcement training and court liaisons, the Department of Mental Health may expend any additional funds to provide grants to community mental health centers for the purpose of increasing housing for patients.
· Provides that the Department of Mental Health shall have all powers necessary to implement and administer the program, and the department shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of the act.
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