The department, together with the Department of Corrections, shall convene a stakeholder group, which must include at a minimum representatives of mental health providers, county jail facilities, advocacy groups, persons with mental illness who are or have been incarcerated in jail and families of persons with mental illness who are or have been incarcerated in jail. The stakeholder group shall design a pilot program to provide increased mental health services to county jail populations. The pilot program must be based on best practices approaches that are supported by research and include collaboration agreements among county jails, community mental health providers, the department and the Department of Corrections. The pilot program must also include mechanisms for evaluating program success. The pilot program must augment and not supplant any existing mental health or county jail efforts to meet the needs of persons with mental illness. [PL 2001, c. 659, Pt. G, §1 (NEW).]

Once agreement on program design is reached by the stakeholder group and an agreement on program content, focus and function is signed by all stakeholders, the department, in cooperation with the Department of Corrections, shall act as the program and fiscal oversight agent and make available through one or more contracts funds for the pilot program. The department shall seek Medicaid or other available funds to support this effort wherever possible. [PL 2001, c. 659, Pt. G, §1 (NEW).]

By January 30, 2003, the department and the Department of Corrections shall provide a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over criminal justice matters on the success of the pilot program. [PL 2001, c. 659, Pt. G, §1 (NEW).]