Behavioral health service standards

A. By June 1, 2025, the health care authority, in consultation with other state agencies that have behavioral health programs, shall provide the administrative office of the courts with an initial set of generally recognized standards for behavioral health services for adoption and implementation in regional plans and any behavioral health service access priorities or gaps in the regions. The standards may be amended or updated to ensure that best practices of behavioral health services are delivered. The health care authority shall confirm whether or not each regional plan meets the behavioral health standards as set forth in the Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act. B. By June 1, 2025, the legislative finance committee and the health care authority shall provide the administrative office of the courts an initial set of evaluation guidelines for behavioral health services for adoption and implementation of regional plans. The evaluation guidelines shall include methods for evaluating the effectiveness of promising practices and behavioral health services not identified in Subsection A of this section. A promising practice is a program that has shown potential to improve outcomes or increase efficiency and is worthy of further study through a pilot implementation. The guidelines may be amended or updated at the request of the legislative finance committee or the legislative health and human services committee. The health care authority, in consultation with the legislative finance committee, shall confirm whether or not each behavioral health service in a regional plan meets the evaluation guidelines as set forth in the Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act. History: Laws 2025, ch. 3, § 5.