HF 362 (LSB 1611YH (3) 86)

HOUSE FILE 362

BY  SALMON

A BILL FOR

An Act concerning alternative transportation options relating to mental health services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM —— ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS.
   1.  The department of human services shall work with regional administrators of the mental health and disability services regions, representatives of the judicial branch representing judges, district court administration, clerks of court, the Iowa hospital association, community mental health centers, mental health advocates, city and county law enforcement, emergency medical services personnel, and other appropriate entities to develop recommended protocols for the use of alternative transportation options for the transport of individuals with mental illness and to develop a recommended associated reimbursement methodology.
   2.  The protocols developed shall balance the appropriate level of risk management and safety relative to all involved with the goal of reducing the costs associated with and the overreliance on law enforcement and emergency medical services in providing transportation for persons with mental illness throughout the system continuum including for routine appointments, assessment, or treatment, or during the voluntary and involuntary commitment processes.
   3.  The protocols shall reflect all of the following:
   a.  Individuals with mental illness should be provided with the least restrictive, safe transportation option to minimize interference with their rights, dignity, and self-respect, and reduce the likelihood that the act of transporting the individual will be a traumatic event.
   b.  A hierarchy of alternative transportation options to match the totality of the circumstances presented. Factors to consider in developing the hierarchy may include existing statutory requirements, the individual’s legal status, the individual’s current and past mental health history, the individual’s physical health, the individual’s immediate treatment needs, the risk of harm the individual poses to self and others, the distance to be traveled, the individual’s need for clinical support, supervision, and sedation during travel, the available modes of transportation, the likely effect on the individual of the proposed mode of transportation, information provided by other service providers, family, or caregivers, and the availability of appropriately trained staff for assessment and escorting, especially in rural areas.
   4.  The department shall report the recommended protocols developed and the associated reimbursement methodology, including any necessary changes in statute or rule, to the governor and general assembly by December 15, 2015.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with

the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill directs the department of human services to work with a variety of appropriate entities to develop recommended protocols for the use of alternative transportation options for the transport of individuals with mental illness and to develop a recommended associated reimbursement methodology. The protocols developed shall balance the appropriate level of risk management and safety relative to all involved with the goal of reducing the costs associated with and the overreliance on law enforcement and emergency medical services in providing transportation for persons with mental illness throughout the system continuum. The protocols are to reflect that individuals with mental illness should be provided with the least restrictive, safe transportation option to minimize interference with their rights, dignity, and self-respect, and reduce the likelihood that the act of transporting the individual will be a traumatic event; and the protocols should provide for a hierarchy of alternative transportation options to match the totality of the circumstances presented. The department of human services is required to report the recommended protocols developed and the associated reimbursement methodology, including any necessary changes in statute or rule, to the governor and general assembly by December 15, 2015.