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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5677
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 4997
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E AVAILABILITY OF COMMUNITY
VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES UNDER MEDICAID.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2021) (a) As used in this section: 1
(1) "Community violence" means intentional acts of interpersonal 2
violence committed by individuals who are not intimately related to the 3
victim. 4
(2) "Community violence prevention services" means evidence-5
based, trauma-informed, supportive and nonpsychotherapeutic 6
services provided by a qualified violence prevention professional for the 7
purpose of promoting improved health outcomes and positive 8
behavioral change, preventing injury recidivism and reducing the 9
likelihood that individuals who are victims of community violence will 10
commit or promote violence themselves. Such services may be provided 11
within or outside of a clinical setting and may include the provision of 12
peer support and counseling, mentorship, conflict mediation, crisis 13
intervention, targeted case management, referrals to certified or licensed 14
health care professionals or social services providers, patient education 15
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or screening services to victims of community violence. 16
(3) "Prevention professional" has the same meaning as defined by the 17
National Uniform Claim Committee (NUCC) under NUCC Code 18
Number 405300000X or its successor. 19
(4) "Qualified violence prevention professional" means a prevention 20
professional who meets all of the conditions specified in subsection (c) 21
of this section. 22
(b) (1) On or before July 1, 2022, the Commissioner of Social Services, 23
in consultation with the Commissioner of Public Health, shall amend 24
the Medicaid state plan to make community violence prevention 25
services available, to the extent permitted by federal law, to any 26
Medicaid beneficiary who has: (A) Received medical treatment for an 27
injury sustained as a result of an act of community violence, and (B) been 28
referred by a certified or licensed health care provider or social services 29
provider to receive community violence prevention services from a 30
qualified violence prevention professional, after such provider 31
determines such beneficiary to be at elevated risk of a violent injury or 32
retaliation resulting from another act of community violence. 33
(2) The Commissioner of Social Services shall seek any federal 34
approvals necessary to implement this section, including, but not 35
limited to, any state plan amendments or federal waivers by the federal 36
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This subsection shall be 37
implemented only to the extent that federal financial participation is 38
available, and any necessary federal approvals have been obtained. 39
(c) Any prevention professional seeking certification as a qualified 40
violence prevention professional shall: 41
(1) Complete at least six months of full-time equivalent experience in 42
providing community violence prevention services through 43
employment, volunteer work or as part of an internship experience; 44
(2) Complete an accredited training and certification program for 45
qualified violence prevention professionals, approved in accordance 46
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with subsection (d) of this section, or be certified as a violence 47
prevention professional by the Health Alliance for Violence 48
Intervention prior to October 1, 2021; 49
(3) Complete annually at least four hours of continuing education, 50
offered by the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention or any other 51
provider approved by the Commissioner of Public Health, in the field 52
of community violence prevention services; and 53
(4) Satisfy any other requirements established by the Commissioner 54
of Public Health for certification as a qualified violence prevention 55
professional. 56
(d) On or before January 1, 2022, the Department of Public Health 57
shall approve at least one governmental or nongovernmental 58
accrediting body with expertise in community violence prevention 59
services to review and approve training and certification programs for 60
qualified violence prevention professionals. The accrediting body shall 61
approve programs that such body determines, in its discretion, will 62
adequately prepare individuals to provide community violence 63
prevention services to individuals who are victims of community 64
violence. Such programs shall include at least thirty-five hours of 65
training, collectively addressing all of the following: 66
(1) The profound effects of trauma and violence and the basics of 67
trauma-informed care; 68
(2) Community violence prevention strategies, including, but not 69
limited to, conflict mediation and retaliation prevention related to 70
community violence; 71
(3) Case management and advocacy practices; and 72
(4) Patient privacy and the federal Health Insurance Portability and 73
Accountability Act of 1996, P.L. 104-191, as amended from time to time, 74
(HIPAA). 75
(e) Any entity that employs or contracts with a qualified violence 76
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prevention professional to provide community violence prevention 77
services shall: 78
(1) Maintain documentation that the qualified violence prevention 79
professional has met all of the conditions described in subsection (c) of 80
this section; and 81
(2) Ensure that the qualified violence prevention professional is 82
providing community violence prevention services in compliance with 83
any applicable standards of care, rules, regulations and governing law 84
of the state or federal government. 85
(f) Nothing in this section shall alter the scope of practice for any 86
health care professional or authorize the delivery of health care services 87
in a setting or in a manner that is not currently authorized. 88
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2021 New section
Statement of Purpose:
To make community violence prevention services provided by a
qualified violence prevention professional a covered service under the
Medicaid program, and to provide for training and certification of
qualified violence prevention professionals.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: REP. GILCHREST, 18th Dist.; REP. RITTER M., 1st Dist.
REP. HALL, 7th Dist.
H.B. 5677