2019 Mississippi Code
Title 41 - Public Health
Chapter 4 - Department of Mental Health
§ 41-4-1. Declaration of goal; promulgation of regulations to ensure certain core mental health services are provided throughout the state
(1) The goal of the Rose Isabel Williams Mental Health Reform Act of 2011 is to reform the current Mississippi mental health delivery system so that necessary services, supports and operational structures for all its citizens with mental illness and/or alcohol and drug dependence and/or comorbidity, whether children, youth or adults, are accessible and delivered preferably in the communities where these citizens live. To accomplish this goal, this act provides that initially certain core services as defined in subsection (2) of this section should be available to residents of each county in the state. These services may be provided by community mental health/intellectual disability centers. In order to determine what services are available, the State Department of Mental Health is directed to survey the community mental health/intellectual disability centers, and the community mental health/intellectual disability centers are directed to report what services they are currently providing in each county. This act does not require any community mental health/intellectual disability center to provide any service. This act is not independent authority for any program not otherwise authorized.
(2) The State Board of Mental Health is authorized and empowered to promulgate regulations to ensure that core adult mental health services, child mental health services, intellectual/developmental disability services, and substance abuse prevention and treatment/rehabilitation services are provided throughout the state through the regional mental health/intellectual disability commissions and centers or through other providers. The State Board of Mental Health is directed to give priority to crisis services and crisis stabilization unit services provided twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, where trained emergency-crisis response staff triage referrals and respond in a timely and adequate manner to diffuse a current personal crisis situation.
