This regulation establishes the general requirements for the District of Columbia Department of Mental Health (DMH) to define and serve priority populations under the Mental Health Service Delivery Reform Act of 2001. DMH is required to promulgate rules identifying priority populations—those with more severe forms of mental or emotional illness—and to issue an annual plan explaining how it will provide or arrange systems of care for children, youth, and adults with mental illness. This is a system-level planning and prioritization requirement rather than a facility operating standard.
View official source1200 PRIORITY POPULATIONS - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 1200.1 The Mental Health Service Delivery Reform Act of 2001 (Act), D.C. Official Code §§ 7-1131.01 et seq., requires the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to provide or arrange systems of care to serve the needs of children and youth with mental health problems and adults with mental illness, as defined in Section 102 of the Act, D.C. Official Code § 7-1131.02. 1200.2 The Act requires DMH to promulgate rules that define priority populations in order to prioritize service response and system design to focus on consumers with the more severe forms of mental or emotional illness. 1200.3 DMH shall issue an annual plan as required by the Act that includes an explanation of how DMH will provide or arrange systems of care to serve the needs of children and youth with mental health problems and adults with mental illness. SOURCE: New by emergency and proposed rulemaking at 49 DCR 1734 (February 22, 2002)[EXPIRED]; Final Rulemaking published at 49 DCR 5811 (June 21, 2002).