Georgia Code Title 37. Mental Health § 37-2-11.1

(c)(1) The community service boards shall be public bodies but shall not be considered agencies of the state or any specific county or municipality. Such community service boards are public agencies in their own right and shall have the same immunity as provided for counties. No county shall be liable for any action, error, or omission of a community service board. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, and regardless of any provisions of law which grant employees of the community service boards benefits under programs operated by the state or which deem them to be state employees only for purposes of those benefits, employees of the community service boards shall not be employees of the state but shall be employees of the community service boards and, further, the state shall not be liable for any action, error, or omission of such employees.

(2) A community service board may employ or contract for legal counsel to assist in performing its duties and shall be authorized to appoint legal counsel to represent the community service board and its employees. The community service board may exercise any authority granted in Article 2 of Chapter 9 of Title 45, relating to the indemnification, defense, and insuring of members and employees of public bodies.