53-21-1203. State matching fund grants for county crisis intervention, jail diversion, precommitment, and short-term inpatient treatment costs. (1) As soon as possible after July 1 of each year, from funds appropriated by the legislature for the purposes of this section, the department shall grant to each eligible county state matching funds for:
     (a) jail diversion and crisis intervention services to implement 53-21-1201 and 53-21-1202;
     (b) insurance coverage against catastrophic precommitment costs if a county insurance pool is established pursuant to 2-9-211; and
     (c) short-term inpatient treatment.
     (2) Grant amounts must be based on available funding and the prospects that a county or multicounty plan submitted pursuant to subsection (3) will, if implemented, reduce admissions to the state hospital for emergency and court-ordered detention and evaluation and ultimately result in cost savings to the state. The department shall develop a sliding scale for state grants based upon the historical county use of the state hospital with a high-use county receiving a lower percentage of matching funds. The sliding scale must be based upon the number of admissions by county compared to total admissions and upon the population of each county compared to the state population.
     (3) In order to be eligible for the state matching funds, a county shall, in the time and manner prescribed by the department:
     (a) apply for the funds and include in the grant application a detailed plan for how the county and other local entities will collaborate and commit local funds for the mental health services listed in subsection (1);
     (b) develop and submit to the department a county or multicounty jail diversion and crisis intervention services strategic plan pursuant to 53-21-1201 and 53-21-1202, including a plan for community-based or regional emergency and court-ordered detention and examination services and short-term inpatient treatment;
     (c) participate in a statewide or regional county insurance plan for precommitment costs under 53-21-132 if a statewide or regional insurance plan has been established as authorized under 2-9-211;
     (d) participate in a statewide or regional jail suicide prevention program if one has been established by the department for the state or for the region in which the county is situated; and
     (e) collect and report data and information on county jail diversion, crisis intervention, and short-term inpatient treatment services in the form and manner prescribed by the department to support program evaluation and measure progress on performance goals.
     (4) (a) For the biennium beginning July 1, 2015, money appropriated for the purposes of this section that exceeds the amount appropriated for this purpose in fiscal year 2015 must be used in the following order to:
     (i) create crisis intervention or jail diversion services in areas of the state that currently lack services;
     (ii) provide new crisis intervention or jail diversion services in areas of the state that have received state matching funds pursuant to this section for other purposes; or
     (iii) recognize an increase in the demand for or use of services that have received funding in previous years.
     (b) For the biennium beginning July 1, 2015, the department shall, at a minimum, maintain the level of state matching funds provided to counties that received matching funds in fiscal year 2015 if the counties request continued funding of the services created or provided through use of the matching funds. If a county requests additional matching funds for continued funding of services provided through use of matching funds in previous years, the department shall consider whether the service is experiencing increased demand or use as provided in subsection (4)(a)(iii) and is eligible for increased funding.

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 479, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 232, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 207, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 403, L. 2015.