North Carolina § 122C-101 - Policy.

§ 122C-101. Policy.

Within the public system of mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services, there are area, county, and State facilities. An area authority or county program is the locus of coordination among public services for clients of its catchment area. History (1985, c. 589, s. 2; 1989, c. 625, s. 13; 1993, c. 396, s. 3; 2001-437, s. 1.4.) Editor's Note. - For preamble to Session Laws 2001-437, see the note at G.S. 122C-2 . Session Laws 2017-57, s. 11F.5A, provides: "It is the intent of the General Assembly to reduce avoidable emergency department readmissions and emergency department boarding times among individuals with behavioral health needs. To that end, of the funds appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services, the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2017-2018 fiscal year shall be allocated for the development and establishment of a two-year pilot program at a hospital in Wake County to support a hospital-based, comprehensive community case management program. The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services, in consultation with LME/MCOs responsible for the management and provision of mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse disorder services in Wake County under the 1915(b)/(c) Medicaid Waiver, shall oversee the development and establishment of the pilot program to ensure it is designed to reduce avoidable emergency department readmissions and emergency department boarding times among individuals with behavioral health needs. The pilot program shall be conducted at the hospital in Wake County with the largest number of emergency department visits that agrees to participate in the two-year pilot program authorized by this subsection. "By December 1, 2020, the Department shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Fiscal Research Division evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program in reducing avoidable emergency department readmissions and emergency department boarding times among individuals with behavioral health needs." Session Laws 2017-57, s. 1.1, provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2017.'" Session Laws 2017-57, s. 39.4, provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium, the textual provisions of this act apply only to funds appropriated for, and activities occurring during, the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium." Session Laws 2017-57, s. 39.6, is a severability clause.