The Commission shall:
(1) Conduct an assessment of behavioral health services in the State to identify needs and gaps in services across the continuum, including community-based outpatient and support services, crisis response, and inpatient care;(2) Examine the methods for reimbursing behavioral health care services in the State and make recommendations on the most effective forms of reimbursement to maximize service delivery;(3) Compile findings of State-specific needs assessments related to behavioral health care services;(4) Review recommendations and reports of State commissions, workgroups, or task forces related to behavioral health care services;(5) Conduct a needs assessment on the State's behavioral health care workforce to identify gaps and make recommendations to ensure an adequate, culturally competent, and diverse workforce across the behavioral health care continuum;(6) Review trends and best practices from other states regarding policy and reimbursement strategies that support access to a comprehensive array of services and ensure quality of care;(7) Examine and make recommendations related to the behavioral health of the geriatric and youth populations in the State;(8) Examine and make recommendations to provide appropriate and adequate behavioral health services to individuals with developmental disabilities and complex behavioral health needs, specifically youth;(9) Assess the health infrastructure, facilities, personnel, and services available for the State's forensic population and identify deficiencies in resources and policies needed to prioritize health outcomes, increase public safety, and reduce recidivism;(10) Make recommendations on expanding behavioral health treatment access for the State's court-ordered population;(11) Make recommendations on action plans regarding the behavioral health care system's capacity to prepare for and respond to future challenges affecting the entire State or particular regions or populations in the State, including pandemics and extreme weather events;(12) Make recommendations to ensure that behavioral health treatment is provided in the appropriate setting, including methods to divert behavioral health patients from emergency departments by using the Maryland Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Registry and Referral System established under § 7.5-802 of this article and 2-1-1;(13) Examine and review the use of harm reduction strategies to facilitate access to care; (14) Examine methods to assist consumers in accessing behavioral health services; and(15) Make, in coordination with the Behavioral Health Advisory Council, recommendations regarding the continuation of the State's behavioral health carve-out and the financing structure and quality oversight necessary to integrate somatic and behavioral health services and ensure compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act in the Maryland Medical Assistance Program.Amended by 2024 Md. Laws, Ch. 787,Sec. 1, eff. 10/1/2024.Amended by 2024 Md. Laws, Ch. 42,Sec. 2, eff. 7/1/2024.Amended by 2024 Md. Laws, Ch. 41,Sec. 2, eff. 7/1/2024.Added by 2023 Md. Laws, Ch. 291,Sec. 1, eff. 5/3/2023, exp. 7/1/2027.Added by 2023 Md. Laws, Ch. 290,Sec. 1, eff. 6/1/2023.Added by 2023 Md. Laws, Ch. 291,Sec. 1, eff. 5/3/2023, exp. 7/1/2027.Added by 2023 Md. Laws, Ch. 290,Sec. 1, eff. 6/1/2023.