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General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 477
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 229
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
SEN. ANWAR, 3rd Dist.
AN ACT CONCERNING PATIENT PROTECTIONS AND STANDARDS
OF CARE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND
ADDICTION SERVICES' INPATIENT FACILITIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
That chapter 319i of the general statutes be amended to improve 1
patient protections and standards of care at the Department of Mental 2
Health and Addiction Services' inpatient facilities by (1) requiring the 3
department to comprehensively document and investigate incidents 4
affecting patient safety and quality of care, including, but not limited to, 5
sexual abuse incidents, (2) enhancing staff training concerning patient 6
abuse prevention and reporting protocols, (3) limiting the use of patient 7
restraints and seclusion and requiring real-time monitoring of such use, 8
(4) integrating specialized professionals, including, but not limited to, 9
psychologists and behavioral specialists into patient treatment teams, 10
(5) requiring frequent updates to patient treatment plans, (6) ensuring 11
inpatient facility compliance with health and safety standards, (7) 12
promoting a therapeutic environment that respects patients' dignity and 13
encourages independence, (8) establishing protocols for assessing post-14
discharge environments and providing community reintegration 15 Proposed Bill No. 477
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support to reduce patient readmissions, and (9) developing frameworks 16
to analyze risks related to patient safety and implementing continuous 17
quality improvement measures. 18
Statement of Purpose:
To improve patient protections and standards of care at the Department
of Mental Health and Addiction Services' inpatient facilities.