Sec. 6016. Grants for unarmed 9–1–1 response programs
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Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act, as amended by sections 6022, 6023, and 6052, is further amended by adding at the end the following new section: The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, may award grants to States, territories, political subdivisions of States and territories, Tribal governments, and consortia of Tribal governments to establish an unarmed 9–1–1 response program under which nonviolent 9–1–1 calls are referred to unarmed professional service providers for response, instead of to a law enforcement agency.
An unarmed 9–1–1 response program funded under this section shall— dispatch unarmed professional service providers in groups of two or more in a timely manner; be capable of providing screening, assessment, de-escalation, trauma-informed culturally and linguistically appropriate services, referrals to treatment providers, and transportation to immediately necessary treatment; when necessary, coordinate with health or social services; not be subject to oversight of State or local law enforcement agencies; and clearly outline the scope of calls that must or may be referred to the unarmed 9–1–1 response program.
A grant under this section may be used for— hiring unarmed professional service providers and 9–1–1 dispatchers; training unarmed professional service providers to respond to 9–1–1 calls by identifying, understanding, and responding to signs of mental illnesses, developmental or intellectual disabilities, and substance use disorders, including by means of— de-escalation; crisis intervention; and connecting individuals to local social service providers, health care providers, community-based organizations, and the full range of other available providers and resources, with a focus on culturally and linguistically appropriate service providers; updating 9–1–1 response systems to enable triage between nonviolent 9–1–1 calls and those that require a response from law enforcement; training 9–1–1 dispatchers on call diversion; building the capacity— to coordinate with local social service providers, health care providers, suicide hotline operators, and community-based organizations; and to provide multilingual and culturally and linguistically appropriate services; and collecting data for reports to the Secretary.
An applicant seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, including the applicant’s plan to train 9–1–1 dispatchers to determine when a call should be diverted to the unarmed 9–1–1 response program. A recipient of a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary, on a biannual basis, a report on the following: The number of calls placed to 9–1–1 that were diverted to the grantee’s unarmed 9–1–1 response program.
Demographic information on the individuals served by the grantee’s unarmed 9–1–1 response program, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and location. The effects of the grantee’s unarmed 9–1–1 response program on emergency room visits, hospitalizations, use of ambulances, and involvement of law enforcement in mental health or substance use disorder crises. An assessment of the types of events and crises to which the grantee’s unarmed 9–1–1 response program responded and the services provided, including— the number of individuals to whom services were provided who were involuntarily committed for treatment; the number of individuals successfully transferred to an alternative destination; the time between notification by a 9–1–1 dispatcher and arrival at the scene by a provider; and the time spent by providers at scene.
A cost analysis of the grantee’s unarmed 9–1–1 response program. An assessment of data sharing limitations or problems associated with adherence to— Federal regulations (concerning the privacy of individually identifiable health information) promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996; and part 2 of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations. The Secretary shall submit to the Congress, on a biannual basis, a report on the program under this section, including a summary of the reports submitted by grantees pursuant to subsection (e).
The Secretary may make grants to applicants that do not meet all of the criteria under subsection (b), but applicants that do not meet all such criteria may not receive the full grant amount. In this section: The term alternative destination — means any service- or care-providing site other than a hospital emergency department or jail; and includes a clinic, primary care office, crisis center, and community care center. The term nonviolent 9–1–1 call means a 9–1–1 call that— relates to mental health, homelessness, addiction problems, social services, truancy, intellectual and developmental disabilities, or public intoxication; and does not involve obvious violent behavior.
The term unarmed professional service provider means a professional (which may include a nurse, social worker, emergency medical technician, counselor, community health worker, trauma-informed personnel, social service provider, or peer support specialist) who— is trained to deal with mental health or substance abuse crises or intellectual and developmental disabilities; and does not carry a firearm. .