Iowa Code Title VI. Human Services [Chs. 216-255A] § 225C.19. Emergency mental health crisis services system

a. “Emergency mental health crisis services provider” means a provider accredited or approved by the department to provide emergency mental health crisis services.

b. “Emergency mental health crisis services system” or “services system” means a coordinated array of crisis services for providing a response to assist an individual adult or child who is experiencing a mental health crisis or who is in a situation that is reasonably likely to cause the individual to have a mental health crisis unless assistance is provided.

2. a. The department shall implement an emergency mental health crisis services system in consultation with counties, and community mental health centers and other mental health and social service providers, in accordance with this section.

b. The purpose of the services system is to provide a statewide array of time-limited intervention services to reduce escalation of crisis situations, relieve the immediate distress of individuals experiencing a crisis situation, reduce the risk of individuals in a crisis situation doing harm to themselves or others, and promote timely access to appropriate services for those who require ongoing mental health services.

c. The services system shall be available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week to any individual who is in or is determined by others to be in a crisis situation, regardless of whether the individual has been diagnosed with a mental illness or a co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder. The system shall address all ages, income levels, and health coverage statuses.

d. The goals of an intervention offered by a provider under the services system shall include but are not limited to symptom reduction, stabilization of the individual receiving the intervention, and restoration of the individual to a previous level of functioning.

e. The elements of the services system shall be specified in administrative rules adopted by the commission.

a. Standards for accrediting or approving emergency mental health crisis services providers. Such providers may include but are not limited to a community mental health center designated under chapter 230A, a unit of the department or other state agency, a county, a mental health and disability services region, or any other public or private provider who meets the accreditation or approval standards for an emergency mental health crisis services provider.

b. Identification by the department of geographic regions, groupings of mental health and disability services regions, or other means of distributing and organizing the emergency mental health crisis services system to ensure statewide availability of the services.

c. Coordination of emergency mental health crisis services with all of the following:

d. Identification of basic services to be provided through each accredited or approved emergency mental health crisis services provider which may include but are not limited to face-to-face crisis intervention, stabilization, support, counseling, preadmission screening for individuals who may require psychiatric hospitalization, transportation, and follow-up services.

e. Identification of operational requirements for emergency mental health crisis services provider accreditation or approval which may include providing a telephone hotline, mobile crisis staff, collaboration protocols, follow-up with community services, information systems, and competency-based training.