2001 SESSION

01-0480

01/09

HOUSE BILL 635

COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

ANALYSIS

This bill requires the department of health and human services to establish family mutual support services to support families in their role as primary caregivers of adults and children with mental conditions. The bill grants rulemaking authority to the commissioner of the department of health and human services for the purposes of the bill.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

01-0480

01/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand One

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

140:1 Statement of Intent. The general court recognizes the effectiveness of families helping families through activities including support, education, and advocacy to assist in the recovery of persons with mental conditions and their families. The general court further recognizes that enhancing the capacity of families to support a member, who has a mental condition, will help improve family functioning and ability to solve problems. Further, effective support from a strong family member or family system can decrease psychiatric emergency hospitalizations, reduce inpatient treatment, and prevent out-of-home placements for both adults and children, thus not adding to the costs of state and local governments. Therefore, the general court hereby adopts this act to support families in their role as primary caregivers of adults and children with mental conditions.

140:2 New Chapter; Family Mutual Support Services. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 126-O the following new chapter:

CHAPTER 126-P

FAMILY MUTUAL SUPPORT SERVICES

126-P:1 Definitions. In this chapter:

I. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the department of health and human services.

II. "Department" means the department of health and human services.

III. "Family mutual support services" that is, families helping families, include, but are not limited to, culturally relevant, family-focused educational, informational, referral, and advocacy services that support families in their roles as primary caregivers for adults and children with mental conditions and that help families navigate through the multiple service systems they encounter.

IV. " Mental conditions" means mental disorders as defined in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM), excluding those disorders designated by a "V Code" in the DSM.

126-P:2 Family Mutual Support Services.

I. The department shall establish family mutual support organizations to utilize their skills and experiences to help improve treatment planning processes, treatment delivery systems, and treatment evaluation as well as quality improvement activities of the department. Family members shall be included on advisory boards, statewide planning committees, regional quality improvement teams, and research design and program evaluation committees.

II. All services to families, whether provided by clinicians or family mutual support organizations, shall be provided in a manner that develops comprehensive, culturally responsive support to families in their role as primary caregivers of adults and children with mental conditions.

III. Family mutual support services shall include statewide education and training activities to individuals with mental conditions and shall support families in their roles as primary caregivers of adults and children with mental conditions. Further, family mutual support services shall assist family members of persons with mental conditions to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the complexities of multiple service systems, and to facilitate family support groups in community mental health program regions.

IV. Family mutual support services shall include statewide education to the public about mental illness to reduce the stigma associated with mental conditions and their impact on individuals and their families.

126-P:3 Administration. The department shall administer this chapter and shall coordinate family mutual support services with existing services for individuals with mental conditions and their families.

126-P:4 Rulemaking. The commissioner shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to the proper administration of this chapter.

140:3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

(Approved: June 29, 2001)

(Effective Date: August 28, 2001)