Senate File 351 - Introduced SENATE FILE 351 BY TRONE GARRIOTT A BILL FOR An Act relating to mental health support for corrections 1 officers, and making appropriations. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2113XS (3) 91 as/js
S.F. 351 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 904.103A Mental health support for 1 corrections officers. 2 1. The department shall hire a mental health liaison staff 3 member for each institution under its jurisdiction. One mental 4 health liaison staff member may cover multiple institutions. 5 The mental health liaison staff member shall be responsible for 6 all of the following: 7 a. Coordinating efforts between the correctional facility 8 and mental health providers in the local region to help 9 corrections officers. 10 b. Coordinating with department leadership to ensure that 11 the program is operating in accordance with this section. 12 c. Overseeing and coordinating the activities of the 13 outreach team. 14 2. The department shall do all of the following: 15 a. Develop and administer a brief annual mental health 16 screening survey composed of five to ten questions that seek 17 to identify severe mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, 18 bipolar disorder, and major depression. The survey shall 19 ask corrections officers about the symptoms of severe mental 20 illness they may be experiencing or have experienced and any 21 prior use of mental health-related medications or inpatient 22 care. The survey shall identify the individuals place of 23 residence, and be administered by a trained staff member at the 24 correctional facility to all corrections officers. 25 b. Develop any technology necessary for a correctional 26 facility to provide the annual mental health screening survey. 27 c. Hire staff necessary for a correctional facility to 28 provide the annual mental health screening survey. 29 d. Establish an outreach team to refer a corrections officer 30 whose responses to the survey indicate severe mental illness 31 to a local mental health care provider for further assessment 32 and outreach, admission if necessary, and support for the 33 officer in reestablishing ties with a mental health provider. 34 An established outreach team shall be composed of mental 35 -1- LSB 2113XS (3) 91 as/js 1/ 3
S.F. 351 health care professionals or clinicians from mental health 1 care centers local to the correctional facility, staff from 2 the correctional facility when applicable, and a mental health 3 liaison staff member who shall oversee the outreach team. If a 4 correctional officer has been determined to need a referral to 5 a mental health care provider, the department shall immediately 6 notify the outreach team. 7 e. Provide reasonable reimbursement for costs incurred by 8 professionals of the outreach team. 9 f. Provide at least one mandatory, employer-funded, paid 10 confidential counseling session annually for each staff 11 member with a licensed mental health professional to ensure 12 corrections officers have access to the support they need to 13 reduce officer turnover, improve productivity, and foster a 14 healthier work environment. 15 Sec. 2. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS MENTAL HEALTH LIAISONS 16 APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the general fund 17 of the state to the department of corrections for the fiscal 18 year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, the 19 following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be 20 used for the purposes designated: 21 For the hiring of a mental health liaison for each 22 institution under the jurisdiction of the department, including 23 salaries, support, maintenance, and miscellaneous purposes: 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 400,000 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 This bill relates to mental health support for corrections 29 officers. 30 The bill requires the department of corrections (department) 31 to hire a mental health liaison staff member for each 32 institution under its jurisdiction. One mental health liaison 33 staff member may cover multiple institutions. 34 The bill provides that the mental health liaison staff 35 -2- LSB 2113XS (3) 91 as/js 2/ 3
S.F. 351 member shall be responsible for all of the following: 1 coordinating efforts between the correctional facility and 2 mental health providers in the local region to help corrections 3 officers; coordinating with department leadership to ensure 4 that the program is operating in accordance with the bill; and 5 overseeing and coordinating the activities of the outreach 6 team. 7 The bill provides that the department shall develop and 8 administer a brief annual mental health screening survey 9 composed of 5 to 10 questions that seek to identify severe 10 mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, 11 and major depression; develop any technology necessary for 12 a correctional facility to provide the annual mental health 13 screening survey; hire staff necessary for a correctional 14 facility to provide the annual mental health screening 15 survey; establish an outreach team to refer a corrections 16 officer whose responses to the survey indicate severe mental 17 illness to a local mental health care provider for further 18 assessment; provide reasonable reimbursement for costs incurred 19 by professionals of the outreach team; and provide at least 20 one mandatory, employer-funded, paid confidential counseling 21 session annually for each staff member with a licensed mental 22 health professional to ensure corrections officers have access 23 to the support they need to reduce officer turnover, improve 24 productivity, and foster a healthier work environment. 25 The bill provides that an outreach team shall be composed 26 of mental health care professionals or clinicians from mental 27 health care centers local to the correctional facility, staff 28 from the correctional facility when applicable, and a mental 29 health liaison staff member who shall oversee the outreach 30 team. If a correctional officer has been determined to need a 31 referral to a mental health care provider, the department shall 32 immediately notify the outreach team. 33 The bill appropriates $400,000 to the department to carry 34 out the requirements of the bill. 35 -3- LSB 2113XS (3) 91 as/js 3/ 3