Sec. KKK-1. 34-B MRSA §15003, sub-§10 is enacted to read:
10. Reporting on children's crisis services. Beginning October 31, 2001, the department shall report by the last day of each month on the status of children's crisis services provided or requested under this chapter. The report must cover the number of children in crisis situations for the preceding month and the time it took to resolve the crisis situations and secure appropriate hospital or residential placements or crisis beds or in-home crisis supports for the children. The report must include all children in crisis situations, regardless of the source of payment for hospitalization, residential placement, crisis beds or in-home crisis supports. The report must protect the confidentiality of all persons involved in the situation as required by state or federal law, rule or regulation.
A. In preparing the report, the department shall make a reasonable effort to obtain information from general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals and children's residential programs. The department shall develop a standardized format for the reporting of data on a monthly basis and shall distribute the form to crisis service providers and children's residential programs electronically on the first working day of each month.
B. Crisis service providers and children's residential programs funded by the department shall report the information requested on the electronic forms under paragraph A to the department by the 15th of each month.
C. If the department determines that there is a substantial need for residential placement, increased hospital resources or community-based crisis services or that action may be required by the Legislature, the department shall highlight those issues in the report.
D. The department shall provide the report, which is public information, to the Children's Mental Health Oversight Committee established in section 15004 and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters.
E. The provisions of this section must be accomplished within the department's existing resources.
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