SB179 - State hospitals; discharge planning.

1 Co-Sponsor

State hospitals; discharge planning; report. Provides that (i) when an individual is to be discharged from Central State Hospital, Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute, or Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute in 30 days or less after admission, the appropriate community services board shall implement the discharge plan developed by the state facility and (ii) when an individual is to be discharged from any other state facility in 30 days or less after admission, or from a state hospital more than 30 days after admission, the appropriate community services board or behavioral health authority shall be responsible for the individual's discharge planning. Under current law, community services boards and behavioral health authorities provide discharge planning for all individuals discharged from state hospitals, regardless of the duration of their stay. The bill requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to make certain annual reports by August 1 to the Governor and the General Assembly and to provide the General Assembly with a one-time evaluation of the impacts of the changes to discharge planning implemented by the bill by November 1, 2025. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.