,i #aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hcig ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #ad1 #bjbd ,ms4 ,sherrill introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to provide funding to the ,bureau of ,prisons1 ,states1 and localities to carry out mental health screenings and provide referrals to mental healthcare providers for individuals in prison or jail4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,improving ,mental ,healthcare in the ,re-,entry ,system ,act of #bjbd4 #b4 ,grant program 7a7 ,establishment ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,attorney ,general shall establish a grant program 7hereinafter referred to as the ,program7 to implement and administer mental health screenings to individuals at intake into an eligible detention center and refer such individuals to mental healthcare providers before or immediately after exit from an eligible detention center1 as applicable4 7b7 ,grant authority ,in carrying out the ,program1 the ,attorney ,general may award a grant on a competitive basis to an eligible recipient in accordance with this section4 7c7 ,application ,the ,attorney ,general may award a grant under the ,program to a ,state or locality1 determined by the ,attorney ,general to carry out a project described in subsection 7d74 7d7 ,eligible recipients 7#a7 ,hiring requirement ,to be eligible for a grant under the ,program1 a ,state or locality shall hire a mental health liaison staff member for each eligible detention center under its jurisdiction4 ,if an eligible detention center has a small enough population1 subject to approval by the ,advisory ,board1 one mental health liaison staff member may cover multiple detention centers4 ,the mental health liaison staff member shall be responsible for-- 7,a7 coordinating efforts between the prison or jail and mental health providers in the local region to help individuals currently or formerly in prison or jail access mental healthcare2 7,b7 coordinating with the ,advisory ,board to ensure that the ,program is operating in accordance with this section2 and 7,c7 overseeing and coordinating activities of the outreach team 7as described in subsection 7g774 7#b7 ,plan ,to be eligible for a grant under the ,program1 a ,state or locality shall submit a plan to the ,advisory ,board explaining how the ,program established shall meet the criteria under subsection 7e74 7#c7 ,relevant data ,to be eligible for a grant under the ,program1 a ,state or locality shall partner with the ,advisory ,board and an independent research organization to evaluate the impact of their program as a condition of receiving a grant1 and are also required to share relevant data with the ,advisory ,board and the research organization contracted with by the ,attorney ,general as specified by section #e7;a7 regarding individuals' participation in the mental health screen and referral program and their arrest1 arraignment1 and incarceration rates4 7e7 ,eligible projects ,grant funds awarded under the ,program may only be used to3 7#a7 ,develop and administer a brief mental health screening survey as required under subsection 7f74 7#b7 ,develop any technology necessary for a prison or jail to provide the survey under paragraph 7#a74 7#c7 ,hire any staff necessary for a prison or jail to provide the survey under paragraph 7#a74 7#d7 ,establish an outreach team pursuant to subsection 7g7 to refer an individual1 if their responses to the survey indicate severe mental illness1 to a local mental healthcare provider for further assessment and outreach1 admission 7when necessary71 and support for that individual in re-establishing ties with a mental health provider4 7#e7 ,pay the salary or overtime pay of an outreach team as established pursuant to subsection 7g71 including providing direct funding to a prison1 jail1 or mental health center to compensate staff members4 7f7 ,brief mental health screening survey ,the mental health screening survey developed and administered under subsection 7e7 shall3 7#a7 ,be composed of #e to #aj questions4 7#b7 ,be based on the questions and content of the ,brief ,jail ,mental ,health ,screen 7,,bjmhs74 7#c7 ,seek to identify severe mental illnesses1 including schizophrenia1 bipolar disorder1 and major depression4 7#d7 ,ask individuals about the symptoms of severe mental illness they may be experiencing or have experienced and any prior use of mental health-related medications or inpatient care4 7#e7 ,identify the individual's place of residence4 7#f7 ,be administered by a trained staff member at the jail or prison to all entering individuals who are incarcerated in the jail or prison and to all incarcerated individuals who entered the jail or prison before the survey was implemented4 7g7 ,outreach team 7#a7 ,in general ,a referral to a mental healthcare provider1 as described in subsection 7e71 shall be made by a mental health outreach team that is composed of-- 7,a7 mental healthcare professionals and clinicians from mental healthcare centers local to the prison or jail2 7,b7 staff from the jail or prison1 when applicable2 and 7,c7 a mental health liaison staff member who shall oversee the outreach team4 7#b7 ,alert ,if an individual has been determined to need a referral to a mental healthcare provider1 the mental health outreach team shall be notified immediately by jail or prison staff and informed1 when applicable1 of the individual's release date from such jail or prison and the individual's trial date4 7#c7 ,contact attempts required 7,a7 ,in general ,a mental health outreach team member shall first attempt to contact an individual that has been determined to need a referral to a mental healthcare provider in person at the jail or prison1 before such individual is released4 ,if in person contact was not made before such individual was released from prison or jail1 the outreach team member shall attempt to contact via telephone such individual within #bd hours1 and at the latest within #dh hours1 of their release from jail or prison for the purpose of making the mental health referral4 ,the mental health outreach team member shall not need to contact the individual via telephone after release if such contact was made in person4 7,b7 ,additional contacts ,a mental health outreach team member shall make at least three attempts at telephone contact for each individual that has been determined to need a referral to a mental healthcare provider if in person contact before release was not made4 ,if phone contact is unsuccessful1 a mental health outreach team member shall attempt to contact the individual in person at their place of residence1 as provided on the mental health survey4 #c4 ,bureau of ,prisons ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of the ,bureau of ,prisons shall establish a program that is substantially similar to the ,program established under section #b to implement and administer mental health screenings to individuals at intake into an eligible detention center and refer such individuals to mental healthcare providers before or immediately after exit from an eligible detention center1 as applicable4 #d4 ,advisory board on program implementation 7a7 ,establishment ,not later than #fj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,attorney ,general shall establish an ,advisory ,board to manage and administer the ,program under section #b1 with the responsibility to3 7#a7 ,evaluate and approve the plans submitted by a ,state or locality as required under section #b and to ensure that grant funding is used as specified under section #b4 7#b7 ,monitor plans submitted by the ,bureau of ,prisons and advise the ,attorney ,general on compliance to ensure that funding to the ,bureau of ,prisons is used as specified under section #b4 7#c7 ,provide technical assistance to a ,state or locality to help with the implementation and administration of mental health screening and referral programs that maximize impact on reducing crime rates and improving employment and wage rates for individuals released from prison or jail1 and to assist a ,state or locality's coordination with the ,attorney ,general in implementing the ,program4 7#d7 ,publish a database of completed evaluations of the impact of a ,program1 as specified under section #e4 7#e7 ,create a working group of mental healthcare providers1 jail and prison administrators1 law enforcement officials1 and operators of existing mental health screening and referral programs1 as of the creation of the working group1 to share best practices on how to create and implement mental health screening and referral programs that have the largest impact on reducing crime rates and improving employment and wage rates for individuals released from prison or jail4 7#f7 ,work in coordination with mental health outreach teams as established under section #b1 to ensure that the ,program is operating as required4 7#g7 ,determine if a grant awarded by the ,program is not meeting the requirements of the ,program and mandate necessary changes and reduce funding if such changes are not made4 7#h7 ,oversee the completion of required program evaluations as described under section #e1 by-- 7,a7 contracting with one or more independent research organizations to carry out an evaluation of the impact of each grant awarded under the ,program on arrest1 arraignment1 and incarceration rates1 employment and wage rates1 and mental healthcare utilization rates of individuals who have been administered mental health screening2 and 7,b7 working with the ,bureau of ,prisons1 ,states1 and localities to ensure that the evaluation is successfully completed4 7b7 ,technical assistance ,the ,advisory ,board shall provide technical assistance to the ,bureau of ,prisons1 ,states1 and localities in setting up and administering the ,program and shall identify evidence-backed models for the administration of mental health screening and referral programs that the ,bureau of ,prisons1 ,states1 and localities can look to when designing their own programs4 7c7 ,process evaluation activities ,not later than one year after the ,program begins1 the ,advisory ,board shall conduct a process evaluation for a grant awarded under the ,program1 in which the implementation of the surveys and referrals in each prison or jail is monitored and evaluated to ensure that they are being carried out as specified in the plan submitted to the ,advisory ,board4 7d7 ,membership 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,attorney ,general shall appoint members to serve on the ,advisory ,board established under subsection 7a7 who have expertise with respect to-- 7,a7 designing and administering mental health screenings and providing referrals for those incarcerated in prisons or jails1 or for those who have recently left such facilities2 7,b7 mental healthcare within prisons or jails2 or 7,c7 program evaluation using rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental statistical methods4 7#b7 ,number of members ,the ,attorney ,general shall appoint as many members to the ,advisory ,board established under subsection 7a7 as deemed necessary by the ,attorney ,general4 #e4 ,evaluation activities 7a7 ,independent research organizations ,the ,attorney ,general shall provide funding directly to the ,advisory ,board for the purpose of contracting with one or more independent research organizations1 in partnership with the ,bureau of ,prisons1 ,states1 and localities1 to carry out an evaluation to determine whether each grant awarded under the ,program is being implemented effectively and to measure the impact of such programs4 7b7 ,impact evaluation activities 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than one year after a recipient of a grant awarded under the ,program receives an award they shall conduct an impact evaluation for its program1 in which the surveys and referrals in each prison or jail will be evaluated for their effect on the criminal justice and economic outcomes of individuals who receive the survey4 ,such impact evaluation shall be conducted by an independent research organization1 with oversight from the ,advisory ,board and include an analysis of the impact of the survey and referral on participant crime rates1 including arrest1 arraignment1 and incarceration rates1 participant employment and wage rates1 and participant mental healthcare utilization rates for one year1 three years1 five years1 and ten years after the participant has completed the survey and referral program4 ,these analyses will use administrative data collected by each ,state's department of public safety1 for the crime rate data1 and each ,state's ,department of ,labor1 for the employment and wage rate data4 ,states shall provide this data to the independent research organization4 ,for the mental health utilization data1 data from mental health providers and1 if necessary1 from outreach to the individuals who participated in the survey and referral program shall be utilized4 7#b7 ,experimental design ,program impact evaluations under paragraph 7#a7 shall use randomized control experimental or quasi-experimental research designs4 ,randomized control experimental designs are preferred and the ,advisory ,board will provide the independent research organization1 in partnership with the ,bureau of ,prisons1 ,state1 or ,locality1 additional resources to carry out a randomized control experimental evaluation4 7c7 ,database ,once evaluations become available1 the ,advisory ,board will be required to keep an updated database of the impact of programs funded under the grant program and how those programs were implemented and administered1 with the goal of creating a repository of evidence regarding what drives impact on crime rates and employment and wage rates to guide policymakers and program operators in the future4 #f4 ,funding 7a7 ,authorization ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,attorney ,general to carry out this ,act-- 7#a7 #ajj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbe2 7#b7 #aaj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbf2 7#c7 #abj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbg2 7#d7 #acj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbh2 and 7#e7 #adj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbi4 7b7 ,distribution of funds ,of the amounts made available under subsection 7a71 the ,attorney ,general shall use-- 7#a7 #ij percent of such amount for a grant program under sections #b and #c1 as applicable1 of which-- 7,a7 #bj percent shall go to the ,bureau of ,prisons for screening and referral implementation activities at ,federal prisons2 7,b7 #bj percent shall go to ,states as competitive grants to carry out screening and referral implementation activities at ,state prisons2 and 7,c7 #ej percent shall go to localities as competitive grants to carry out screening and referral implementation activities at locally-administered jails2 7#b7 #e percent of such amount to carry out evaluation activities under section #e2 and 7#c7 #e percent of such amount for the ,advisory ,board to provide technical assistance to the ,bureau of ,prisons1 ,states1 and localities and for general operations as described in section #d4 #g4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,state ,the term ,state means any ,state of the ,united ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 the ,virgin ,islands1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands4 7#b7 ,locality ,the term locality means any city1 county1 township1 town1 borough1 parish1 village1 or other general purpose political subdivision of a ,state4 7#c7 ,mental healthcare provider ,the term mental healthcare provider means a fully-licensed professional or group of professionals who diagnose mental health conditions and provide mental health treatment1 and who operate near to the relevant jail or prison4 ,mental healthcare providers may provide services at hospitals or at private clinics4 7#d7 ,mental healthcare center ,the term mental healthcare center means any facility where one or more mental healthcare providers offer mental health services1 such as a hospital or private clinic4 7#e7 ,jail or prison administrator ,the term jail or prison administrator means any individual who has been appointed to a supervisory position in a ,federal1 ,state1 or local incarceration facility by the ,federal ,government1 a ,state1 or a locality4 7#f7 ,law enforcement official ,the term law enforcement official means any officer of an entity administered by a locality1 ,state1 or the ,federal ,government that exists primarily to prevent and detect crime and enforce criminal laws who is designated by the leadership of that entity to represent the entity4 7#g7 ,eligible detention center ,the term eligible detention center means any prison or jail administered by the ,bureau of ,prisons or a ,state or any jail administered by a ,state or locality4 7#h7 ,severe mental illness ,the term severe mental illness means one or more mental1 behavioral1 or emotional disorders that results in serious functional impairment and substantially interferes with or limits major life activities4 7#i7 ,independent research organizations ,the term independent research organization means an entity that is not operated or controlled by a governmental body that conducts high-quality and rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations4 7#aj7 ,randomized control experimental research design ,the term randomized control experimental research design means a study design that utilizes a randomized control trial methodology to determine the impact of the program on participants1 by comparing program outcomes between a randomly assigned sample population that has received the survey and referral and a randomly assigned control population that has not received the survey and referral4 7#aa7 ,responses to the survey indicate severe mental illness ,the term responses to the survey indicate severe mental illness means an individual answer's yes to multiple questions with respect to the symptoms of a severe mental illness or to any question relating to prior use of a mental health-related medication or inpatient care related to a mental illness4 7#ab7 ,quasi-experimental research design ,the term quasi-experimental research design means a study design that utilizes a non-randomized methodology and model to determine the impact of the program on participants1 by comparing program outcomes between a non-randomly assigned sample population that has received the survey and referral and a non-randomly assigned control population that is constructed to be statistically identical to the sample population but without having received the survey and referral4