1. There is hereby created a department of mental health to be headed by a mental health commission who shall appoint a director, by and with the advice and consent of the senate. The director shall be the administrative head of the department and shall serve at the pleasure of the commission and be compensated as provided by law for the director, division of mental health. All employees of the department shall be selected in accordance with chapter 36.

2. (1) The “State Mental Health Commission”, composed of seven members, is the successor to the former state mental health commission and it has all the powers, duties and responsibilities of the former commission. All members of the commission shall be appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate. None of the members shall otherwise be employed by the state of Missouri.

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Terms Used In Missouri Laws 630.003

  • Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
  • Commission: the state mental health commission. See Missouri Laws 630.005
  • Department: the department of mental health of the state of Missouri. See Missouri Laws 630.005
  • Developmental disability: a disability:

    (a) Which is attributable to:

    a. See Missouri Laws 630.005

  • Director: the director of the department of mental health, or his designee. See Missouri Laws 630.005
  • Drug abuse: the use of any drug without compelling medical reason, which use results in a temporary mental, emotional or physical impairment and causes socially dysfunctional behavior, or in psychological or physiological dependency resulting from continued use, which dependency induces a mental, emotional or physical impairment and causes socially dysfunctional behavior. See Missouri Laws 630.005
  • Habilitation: a process of treatment, training, care or specialized attention that seeks to enhance and maximize a person with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability to cope with the environment and to live as determined by the person as much as possible, as is appropriate for the person considering his or her physical and mental condition and financial means. See Missouri Laws 630.005
  • Habilitation center: a residential facility operated by the department and serving only persons who are developmentally disabled. See Missouri Laws 630.005
  • hereafter: means the time after the statute containing it takes effect. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Heretofore: means any time previous to the day when the statute containing it takes effect. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Intellectual disability: significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning which:

    (a) Originates before age eighteen. See Missouri Laws 630.005

  • State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020

(2) Three of the commission members first appointed shall be appointed for terms of four years, and two shall be appointed for terms of three years, and two shall be appointed for a term of two years. The governor shall designate, at the time the appointments are made, the length of the term of each member so appointed. Thereafter all terms shall be for four years.

(3) At least two of the members of the commission shall be physicians, one of whom shall be recognized as an expert in the field of the treatment of nervous and mental diseases, and one of whom shall be recognized as an expert in the field of intellectual or developmental disabilities. At least two of the members of the commission shall be representative of persons or groups who are consumers having substantial interest in the services provided by the division, one of whom shall represent persons with an intellectual disability or developmental disability and one of whom shall represent those persons being treated for nervous and mental diseases. Of the other three members at least one must be recognized for his expertise in general business management procedures, and two shall be recognized for their interest and expertise in dealing with alcohol/drug abuse problems, or community mental health services.

3. The provisions of sections 191.120*, 191.125*, 191.130*, 191.140*, 191.150, 191.160, 191.170, 191.180, 191.190, 191.200*, 191.210 and others as they relate to the division of mental health not previously reassigned by executive reorganization plan number 2 of 1973 as submitted by the governor under chapter 26 are transferred by specific type transfer from the department of public health and welfare to the department of mental health. The division of mental health, department of health and welfare, chapter 202 and others are abolished and all powers, duties and functions now assigned by law to the division, the director of the divisions of mental health or any of the institutions or officials of the division are transferred by type I transfer to the department of mental health.

4. The Missouri institute of psychiatry, which is under the board of curators of the University of Missouri is hereafter to be known as the “Missouri Institute of Mental Health”. The purpose of the institute will be that of conducting research into improving services for persons served by the department of mental health for fostering the training of psychiatric residents in public psychiatry and for fostering excellence in mental health services through employee training and the study of mental health policy and ethics. To assist in this training, hospitals operated by and providers contracting with the department of mental health may be used for the same purposes and under the same arrangements as the board of curators of the University of Missouri utilizes with other hospitals in the state in supervising residency training for medical doctors. Appropriations requests for the Missouri institute of mental health shall be jointly developed by the University of Missouri and the department of mental health. All appropriations for the Missouri institute of mental health shall be made to the curators of the University of Missouri but shall be submitted separately from the appropriations of the curators of the University of Missouri.

5. There is hereby established within the department of mental health a division of developmental disabilities. The director of the division shall be appointed by the director of the department. The division shall administer all state facilities under the direction and authority of the department director. The Marshall Habilitation Center, the Higginsville Habilitation Center, the Bellefontaine Habilitation Center, the Nevada Habilitation Center, the St. Louis Developmental Disabilities Treatment Centers, and the regional centers located at Albany, Columbia, Hannibal, Joplin, Kansas City, Kirksville, Poplar Bluff, Rolla, St. Louis, Sikeston and Springfield and other similar facilities as may be established, are transferred by type I transfer to the division of developmental disabilities.

6. All the duties, powers and functions of the advisory council on mental retardation and community health centers, sections 202.664 to 202.666, are hereby transferred by type I transfer to the division of mental retardation and developmental disabilities of the department of mental health. The advisory council on mental retardation and community health centers shall be appointed by the division director.

7. The advisory council on mental retardation and developmental disabilities heretofore established by executive order and all of the duties, powers and functions of the advisory council including the responsibilities of the provision of the council in regard to the Federal Development Disabilities Law (P.L. 91-517) and all amendments thereto are transferred by type I transfer to the division of developmental disabilities. The advisory council on mental retardation and developmental disabilities shall be appointed by the director of the division of developmental disabilities.

8. The advisory council on alcoholism and drug abuse, chapter 202, is transferred by type II transfer to the department of mental health and the members of the advisory council shall be appointed by the mental health director.