102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB3197

 

Introduced 2/19/2021, by Rep. Deb Conroy

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Suicide Treatment Improvements Act. Provides that all at-risk patients must be provided with one-on-one suicide prevention counseling by the public or private psychiatric facility at which the at-risk patient is being treated. Provides that the services shall be covered by each group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed after the effective date of the Act. Requires all psychiatric facilities to provide suicide prevention counselors who are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Provides that specified persons and entities must obtain a history and suicide risk assessment for the person's or entity's at-risk patient from information provided by the at-risk patient and the at-risk patient's caregivers. Provides that if an at-risk patient is admitted to the emergency room of a psychiatric facility, a suicide prevention counselor must immediately assess the at-risk patient and provide specified services. Provides that under no circumstances may a psychiatric facility discharge an at-risk patient into a homeless situation or cause an at-risk patient who is not a threat to others to be sent to a jail. Provides requirements for specified persons and entities to treat and converse with at-risk patients. Provides that all State and local suicide and crisis hotlines must provide suicide prevention counseling and general counseling. Contains provisions regarding law enforcement officers who respond to situations concerning at-risk patients. Provides that violators of the Act may be subject to civil penalties, termination of employment, civil lawsuit, or loss of licensure, certification, or accreditation. Effective July 1, 2021.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning health.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Suicide Treatment Improvements Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "At-risk patient" means a patient who has attempted
8suicide or who has suicidal ideations, behaviors, or
9tendencies, as indicated by a formal suicide risk assessment
10under this Act.
11    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
12    "Mental health screener" means a psychiatrist,
13psychologist, social worker, registered professional nurse, or
14other individual trained to do outreach only for the purposes
15of psychological assessment who is employed by a screening
16service and possesses the license, academic training, or
17experience required by rules adopted by the Department; except
18that a psychiatrist or a licensed clinical psychologist who
19meets the requirements for mental health screeners are not
20required to comply with any additional requirements adopted by
21the Department.
22    "Outpatient treatment provider" means a community-based
23mental health facility or center, including, but not limited

 

 

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1to, a suicide treatment center, that is licensed or funded by
2the Department of Public Health to provide outpatient mental
3health treatment services.
4    "Person who is or may be suicidal" means a person who is
5experiencing a mental health crisis, is experiencing or
6expressing suicidal ideations or tendencies, or is undertaking
7or contemplating suicidal actions, but who has not yet been
8subject to a formal suicide risk assessment conducted pursuant
9to this Act.
10    "Psychiatric facility" means a State psychiatric hospital,
11a county psychiatric hospital or the psychiatric unit of a
12county hospital, a short-term care facility, a special
13psychiatric hospital, or the psychiatric unit of a general
14hospital or other health care facility licensed by the
15Department of Public Health.
16    "Screening service" means a public or private ambulatory
17care service designated by the Department that provides mental
18health services, including assessment, emergency, and referral
19services, to persons with mental illness in a specified
20geographic area.
21    "Suicide prevention counselor" means a licensed
22psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, or other mental health
23professional, or a properly qualified paraprofessional crisis
24counselor, who has specialized certification or has completed
25specialized training in the standardized assessment of suicide
26risk and the provision of suicide prevention counseling to

 

 

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1at-risk patients.
 
2    Section 10. Psychiatric facilities.
3    (a) All at-risk patients must be provided one-on-one
4suicide prevention counseling by the public or private
5psychiatric facility at which the at-risk patient is being
6treated.
7    (b) Services provided under subsection (a) shall be
8covered by each group or individual policy of accident and
9health insurance or managed care plan amended, delivered,
10issued, or renewed after the effective date of this Act.
11    (c) All psychiatric facilities must provide suicide
12prevention counselors who are available 24 hours a day, 7 days
13a week.
14    (d) All public or private mental health screeners,
15outpatient treatment providers, psychiatric facilities,
16screening services, or suicide prevention counselors must
17obtain a history and suicide risk assessment for the person's
18or entity's at-risk patient from information provided by the
19at-risk patient and the at-risk patient's caregivers.
 
20    Section 15. Emergency rooms; daily counseling services;
21discharge.
22    (a) If an at-risk patient is admitted to the emergency
23room of a psychiatric facility, a suicide prevention counselor
24must, in the emergency room, immediately assess the at-risk

 

 

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1patient and provide him or her with suicide prevention
2counseling. The suicide prevention counselor must then
3determine if the at-risk patient needs to be admitted to the
4psychiatric facility.
5    (b) A suicide prevention counselor must provide suicide
6prevention counseling services daily to an at-risk patient at
7a psychiatric facility.
8    (c) Under no circumstances may a psychiatric facility:
9        (1) discharge an at-risk patient into a homeless
10    situation; or
11        (2) cause an at-risk patient who is not a threat to
12    others to be sent to a jail.
 
13    Section 20. At-risk patient treatment.
14    (a) All at-risk patients must be treated with the same
15respect, compassion, and dignity that a patient with physical
16ailments is treated with.
17    (b) All suicide prevention counselors of an at-risk
18patient, and all medical and mental health personnel who
19interact with the at-risk patient of a mental health screener,
20outpatient treatment provider, psychiatric facility, or
21screening service, shall:
22        (1) have good bedside manner with the at-risk patient;
23        (2) not traumatize or retraumatize the at-risk patient
24    any more than he or she has already been traumatized;
25        (3) treat the at-risk patient in an age-appropriate

 

 

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1    manner;
2        (4) look for signs from caregivers to determine if
3    they are or may be abusive, controlling, or dysfunctional;
4        (5) not stigmatize or discriminate against the at-risk
5    patient in any way;
6        (6) receive training to reduce the stigma of mental
7    illness; and
8        (7) not psychologically test the at-risk patient while
9    he or she is in a crisis or has recently been in a crisis.
 
10    Section 30. Suicide hotline. All State and local suicide
11and crisis hotlines must provide suicide prevention counseling
12and general counseling.
 
13    Section 35. Law enforcement officers.
14    (a) A law enforcement officer who responds to a situation
15known to involve a person who is or may be suicidal must be
16accompanied by a suicide prevention counselor.
17    (b) A law enforcement officer who responds to a situation
18known to involve a person who is or may be suicidal may not use
19force or draw his or her weapon unless a person present at the
20situation is a threat to others.
21    (c) A law enforcement officer who responds to a situation
22known to involve a person who is or may be suicidal must
23approach the person who is or may be suicidal in a gentle and
24respectful manner.

 

 

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1    (d) A suicide prevention counselor under this Section must
2provide suicide prevention counseling to the person who is or
3may be suicidal and assess him or her to determine if he or she
4needs to be taken to a psychiatric facility.
 
5    Section 40. Failure to comply. In addition to any other
6disciplinary action otherwise provided by law, a person or
7entity that violates this Act may be subject to civil
8penalties established by the Department, termination of
9employment, civil lawsuit, or loss of licensure,
10certification, or accreditation.
 
11    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
122021.