                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES; PURPOSE (§ 37.2-601)

A. The Department, for the purposes of establishing, maintaining, and promoting
the development of behavioral health services in the Commonwealth, may provide
funds to assist certain cities or counties in the provision of these services.
In order to provide comprehensive mental health, developmental, and substance
abuse services within a continuum of care, the behavioral health authority shall
function as the single point of entry into publicly funded mental health,
developmental, and substance abuse services.

B. The governing body of the City of Richmond or Virginia Beach or Chesterfield
County may establish a behavioral health authority and shall declare its
intention to do so by resolution.

C. The behavioral health services provided by behavioral health authorities
within the cities or counties they serve shall include:

   1. Emergency services;

   2. Same-day mental health screening services;

   3. Outpatient primary care screening and monitoring services for physical
   health indicators and health risks and follow-up services for individuals
   identified as being in need of assistance with overcoming barriers to
   accessing primary health services, including developing linkages to primary
   health care providers; and

   4. Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for them, case management
   services.

D. Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for them, the behavioral
health services may include a comprehensive system of inpatient, outpatient, day
support, residential, prevention, early intervention, and other appropriate
mental health, developmental, and substance abuse services necessary to provide
individualized services and supports to persons with mental illness,
developmental disabilities, or substance abuse. Behavioral health authorities
may establish crisis stabilization units that provide residential crisis
stabilization services.

E. The purpose of behavioral health services provided by behavioral health
authorities shall be to enable individuals who have a mental illness or
substance use disorder that significantly impairs their functioning to access
effective, timely, and cost-efficient services that help them (i) overcome or
manage functional impairments caused by the mental illness or substance use
disorder and (ii) remain in the community to the greatest extent possible,
consistent with the individual&#8217;s well-being and public safety.

HISTORY: 1995, c. 693, §§ 15.1-1676, 15.1-1678; 1996, c. 861; 1997, c. 587,
§§ 37.1-242, 37.1-244; 1998, c. 680; 2005, c. 716; 2010, c. 28; 2012, cc. 476,
507; 2017, cc. 458, 607, 683; 2023, c. 484.