(1) The community transition specialist program is established in the office of behavioral health. The program must coordinate referrals of high-risk individuals from withdrawal management facilities and hospitals to appropriate transition specialists.
On or before January 1, 2019, the program must be available statewide. The programmust have a process to accept referrals for high-risk individuals and coordinate contact between referred high-risk individuals and appropriate transition specialists. To the extent possible, the coordinated contact must take place prior to the release or discharge of the high-risk individual from a facility.
The program must encourage, but cannot require, withdrawal management facilitiesand hospitals to contact the program before releasing or discharging a high-risk individual.
The program may encourage, but cannot require, a high-risk individual to acceptservices from a transition specialist. Participation by a high-risk individual is voluntary and the individual has the right to decline community transition specialist services.
The office may contract with a vendor to provide the referral and coordination services required by this article 66.5.
On or before October 1, 2018, the department shall promulgate rules necessary forthe implementation of this article 66.5.
Source: L. 2018: Entire article added, (SB 18-270), ch. 223, p. 1423, § 1, effective May 21.