2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 17a - Social and Human Services and Resources
Chapter 319i - Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities
Section 17a-452 - (Formerly Sec. 17-210b). Deputy commissioners.

(a) There shall be two deputy commissioners of mental health and addiction services appointed by the commissioner with the advice of the Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services. The deputy commissioner for mental health services shall hold a master’s degree or higher, shall have a minimum of ten years’ experience in business, hospital, health or mental health administration and shall be responsible for the supervision of medical and other treatment activities of the Division of Mental Health. The deputy commissioner for addiction services shall hold a master’s degree or higher, shall have a minimum of ten years’ experience in the prevention and treatment of substance abuse and shall be knowledgeable in substance abuse program planning and administration and shall be responsible for the supervision and coordination of all substance abuse activities of the department and with other departments.

(b) There shall be a medical director appointed by the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services with the advice of the Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services. The medical director shall be a qualified physician licensed to practice medicine in Connecticut and shall have experience in comprehensive health care or human services operations. The medical director shall be responsible for (1) the quality and appropriateness of services by developing policies relating to clinical services regulated by the department and those services delivered in department facilities or under contract to the department; (2) directing a standards and quality assurance program, a utilization review program, a physician recruitment and retention program and a peer review program for physicians and other clinical staff employed by or under contract to the department; and (3) other tasks as directed by the commissioner.

(1972, P.A. 145, S. 4; P.A. 95-257, S. 15, 58.)

History: Sec. 17-210b transferred to Sec. 17a-452 in 1991; P.A. 95-257 replaced mental health with mental health and addiction services, eliminated the requirement that one of the two deputy commissioners be a psychiatrist, requiring instead a master’s degree or higher, required the experience be for a minimum of 10 years and added “business” as one of the areas of administration experience, eliminated the requirement that the other deputy commissioner be for administrative services, requiring instead that he be for addiction services and set forth the qualifications, and added Subsec. (b) re a medical director, effective July 1, 1995.