5095-0015 Inpatient Facilities and Community-Based Mental Health

For the operation of hospital facilities and community--based mental health services; provided, that in order to comply with the decision in Olmstead v. L.C. ex rel. Zimring, 527 U.S. 581 (1999) and to enhance care for clients, the department of mental health shall discharge clients residing in inpatient facilities to residential services in the community if the following criteria are met: (i) the client is deemed clinically suited for a more integrated setting; (ii) the community residential service capacity and resources available are sufficient to provide each client with an equal or improved level of service; and (iii) the cost to the commonwealth of serving the client in the community is less than or equal to the cost of serving the client in inpatient care; provided further, that any client transferred to another inpatient facility as the result of a facility closure shall receive a level of care that is equal to or greater than the care that had been provided at the closed facility; provided further, that the department may allocate funds of not more than $5,000,000 from this item to item 5046-0000, as necessary, under allocation plans submitted to the house and senate committees on ways and means not less than 30 days before any transfer for residential and day services for clients formerly receiving inpatient care at the centers and facilities; provided further, that the department shall maintain not less than 671 inpatient beds in its system in fiscal year 2027; provided further, that of said 671 beds, not less than 45 beds shall be continuing care inpatient beds on the campus of Taunton state hospital; and provided further, that within the existing appropriation, the department may operate more beds at Taunton state hospital