§27-2A-1. Comprehensive community mental health-intellectual
disability centers; establishment, operation and
location; access to treatment.
(a) The Department of Health and Human Resources is authorized
and directed to establish, maintain and operate comprehensive
community mental health centers and comprehensive intellectual
disability facilities, at locations within the state that are
determined by the secretary in accordance with the state's
comprehensive mental health plan and the state's comprehensive
intellectual disability plan. Such facilities may be integrated
with a general health care or other facility or remain separate as
the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources may
by rules prescribe: Provided, That nothing contained herein may be
construed to allow the Department of Health and Human Resources to
assume the operation of comprehensive regional mental health
centers or comprehensive intellectual disability facilities which
have been heretofore established according to law and which, as of
the effective date of this article, are being operated by local
nonprofit organizations.
(b) Any new mental health centers and comprehensive mental
retardation facilities herein provided may be operated and
controlled by the Department of Health and Human Resources or
operated, maintained and controlled by local nonprofit
organizations and licensed according to rules promulgated by the
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources. All comprehensive regional mental health and intellectual disability
facilities licensed in the state shall:
(1) Have a written plan for the provision of diagnostic,
treatment, supportive and aftercare services, and written policies
and procedures for implementing these services;
(2) Have sufficient employees appropriately qualified to
provide these services;
(3) Maintain accurate medical and other records for all
patients receiving services;
(4) Render outpatient services in the aftercare of any patient
discharged from an inpatient hospital, consistent with the needs of
the individual. No person who can be treated as an outpatient at
a community mental health center may be admitted involuntarily into
a state hospital.
(5) Have a chief administrative officer directly responsible
to a legally constituted board of directors of a comprehensive
mental health or intellectual disability facility operated by a
local nonprofit organization, or to the Secretary of the Department
of Health and Human Resources if the comprehensive mental health or
intellectual disability center or facility is operated by the
Department of Health and Human Resources; and
(6) Have a written plan for the referral of patients for
evaluation and treatment for services not provided.
The state's share of costs of operating the facilities may be
provided from funds appropriated for this purpose within the budget of the Department of Health and Human Resources. The Secretary of
the Department of Health and Human Resources shall administer these
funds among all comprehensive mental health and intellectual
disability facilities that are required to best provide
comprehensive community mental health care and services to the
citizens of the state.
After July 1, but not later than August 1 of each year, the
chief administrative officer of each comprehensive regional mental
health center and intellectual disability facility shall submit a
report to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Resources and to the Legislative Auditor containing a listing of:
(1) All funds received by the center or facility;
(2) All funds expended by the center or facility;
(3) All funds obligated by the center or facility;
(4) All services provided by the center or facility;
(5) The number of persons served by the center or facility;
and
(6) Other information as the Secretary of the Department of
Health and Human Resources prescribes by regulation.
Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session