An Act Expanding The Crisis Initiative Pilot Program To Provide Juvenile Services.
Summary
HB 6617 would amend the general statutes to direct the Division of State Police, working with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, to expand the existing CRISIS Initiative pilot program so it also serves juveniles. The bill specifically requires the expanded pilot to include juvenile services, at a minimum through mobile crisis intervention services that can assist with the emergency committal and transport of a juvenile to an urgent care facility or hospital.
The measure is framed as an expansion of an existing crisis-response pilot rather than a wholly new program. Its focus is on creating a coordinated law-enforcement and behavioral-health response for youth in crisis, with an emphasis on emergency intervention, transport, and access to appropriate care settings.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would change state law to require the State Police and DMHAS to broaden the CRISIS Initiative pilot program to include juvenile-specific crisis response services. It would affect how state agencies coordinate on behavioral-health emergencies involving minors, particularly by formalizing mobile crisis intervention support for emergency committal and transport to urgent care or hospital settings. The bill would primarily impact state agencies, crisis-response providers, juveniles in crisis, and families seeking emergency behavioral-health assistance.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the overall sentiment appears supportive and service-oriented, with the bill presented as a public safety and behavioral-health measure aimed at improving crisis response for young people. There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal opposition or support can be identified from debate or roll call. The proposal’s framing suggests an emphasis on expanding access to care and improving emergency response capacity for juveniles.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of debate, if raised, would likely involve the scope of police involvement in juvenile behavioral-health crises, the use of mobile crisis teams versus law-enforcement transport, agency capacity, and funding for expanding a pilot program. However, none of these concerns are reflected in the available transcripts or votes.