You asked about the Community Mental Health Strategy Board's composition and appointment and its responsibilities.

COMPOSITION AND APPOINTMENT

PA 01-8, June Special Session created the Community Mental Health Strategy Board. The board has 21 members, 14 of whom have voting privileges. The governor, Senate president pro tempore, House speaker, and Senate and House minority leaders each appoint two voting members; the House and Senate majority leaders each appoint one. The act does not specify qualifications for these appointees. The commissioners of the mental health and addiction services (DMHAS) and children and families (DCF) departments are also voting members; the former serves as chairman. The nonvoting members are the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) secretary; the commissioners of economic and community development, education, correction, public health and social services; and the chief court administrator. All nonvoting members can designate someone to serve in their place.

A list of the board's members is attached (Attachment 1). It includes consumer/family representatives from DMHAS and DCF. The board voted at its second meeting (October 17, 2001 to add them as advisors. They were appointed, respectively, by the State Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services and DCF's State Advisory Council.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The act requires the board annually to adopt a strategic plan and a financial assistance plan. The strategic plan must be consistent with other state mental health services plans. The board had to adopt its first plans by January 1, 2002.

The board adopted a strategic plan on November 30, 2001. The plan was based on three goals:

1. expanding access to effective and quality-driven behavioral healthcare,

2. integrating prevention and early intervention into the behavioral health system, and

3. providing services based on recovery and rehabilitation.

The board adopted a financial assistance plan on January 10, 2002. It called for allocating:

1. $ 5,095,000 for the last six months of FY 2001-02 for "first initiatives," which are services, such as acute care hospital beds, residential treatment beds, and outpatient services for people recently released from inpatient care, that are designed to reduce major access limitations;

2. $ 12,760,000 through the first quarter of FY 2003-04 for adult services such as intensive supportive community services, community-based mobile crisis and respite care, and expansion of DMHAS' assertive community treatment program;

3. $ 6,692,000 for services to children who are not in DCF custody such as outpatient evaluations of children in court situations, expanding six local systems of care, and providing mental health consultations to early childhood caregivers;

4. $ 8,113,279 for supportive housing enhancements; and

5. $ 3,000,000 for "emerging issues," such as leveraging foundation grants, predevelopment costs for housing, and technical assistance to the board.

The complete contents of the board's strategic and financial plan are at http: //www. dmhas. state. ct. us/pdf/cmhsbplan. pdf. The executive summary is attached (Attachment 2).

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