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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1612 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3602
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Lindsay N. Sabadosa and Smitty Pignatelli
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act establishing peer-run respite centers throughout the Commonwealth.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/18/2023Smitty Pignatelli3rd Berkshire1/19/2023 1 of 5
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1612 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3602
By Representatives Sabadosa of Northampton and Pignatelli of Lenox, a petition (accompanied
by bill, House, No. 3602) of Lindsay N. Sabadosa and Smitty Pignatelli that the Department of
Mental Health establish peer-run respite centers. Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act establishing peer-run respite centers throughout the Commonwealth.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 19 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following
2section:-
3 Section 26.
4 (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context requires
5otherwise, have the following meanings:
6 “Peer respite services”, voluntary, trauma-informed, short-term services provided to
7adults, age 18 or older, in a home-like environment, which are the least restrictive of individual
8freedom, culturally competent, and focus on recovery, resiliency, and wellness.
9 “Peer respites”, voluntary, short-term residential programs that provide community-
10based, trauma-informed, person-centered support and prevention on a 24/hour basis in a 2 of 5
11homelike environment to adults, age 18 or older, who are experiencing emotional or mental
12distress either as an immediate precursor to or as a part of a crisis.
13 “Peer-run organization”, a non-profit entity that is controlled and operated by individuals
14who have psychiatric histories and/or have faced and navigated other life-interrupting challenges
15and which provides a venue for support and advocacy for individuals who experience similar
16struggles.
17 “Peer support services”, assistance that promotes engagement, socialization, recovery,
18self-sufficiency, self-advocacy, development of natural supports, identification of strengths, and
19maintenance of skills learning in other support services.
20 “Peer-run respite center”, a safe, physical space for people experiencing emotional or
21mental distress that addresses the social isolation and lack of social connectedness that many
22people say they feel. A peer-run respite center shall offer peer support and peer respite services
23by Peer Supporters. All peer-run respite centers must be “peer-run organizations” and “peer
24respites”, as these terms are defined herein.
25 “Peer supporters”, individuals who are formally trained in the provision of peer support
26services, and who have psychiatric histories and/or have faced and navigated similarly life-
27interrupting challenges. Such individuals shall be trained in and capable of providing
28community-based, trauma-informed, person-centered peer support and peer respite services, as
29these terms are defined herein.
30 “LGBTQIA+”, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and/or other
31gender identities and sexual orientations that individuals may identify as, but which may not fall
32within the preceding classifications. 3 of 5
33 “Department”, the department of mental health.
34 “Guests”, an adult, aged 18 and over, who has been accepted by a peer-run respite center
35and approved to stay at or receive services from the same.
36 (“Peer-run organizations”, shall mean all of the following: (a) organizations that
37specialize in the provision of peer support; (b) where a majority of their leadership (both senior
38leadership and Board of Directors) identify as having psychiatric histories and/or navigating
39similar life-interrupting challenges; (c) have specialized in the provision of peer support for a
40minimum of 5 years; and (d) do not provide any clinical mental health services or whereas
41clinical mental health services make up less than 10 percent of their primary services provided.
42 (b) The department shall establish a minimum of 14 peer-run respite centers throughout
43the Commonwealth, with each county having at least one peer-run respite center. The department
44shall allocate and provide the funding necessary for, and assist with the establishment of the
45peer-run respite centers. All peer-run respite centers shall be peer-run organizations and shall
46constitute peer respites.
47 (c) Two of the peer-run respite centers shall be established for the purpose of serving
48LGBTQIA+ individuals. The LGBTQIA+ peer-run respite centers shall be managed, operated,
49and controlled by individuals identifying as members of the LGBTQIA+ community who also
50have psychiatric histories or related lived experience. The LGBTQIA+ peer-run respite centers
51shall be located in Hampden County and Suffolk County.
52 (d) All peer-run respite centers shall employ peer supporters and be managed and
53operated by individuals with psychiatric histories or lived experience with similarly life-
54interrupting challenges. All peer supporters shall be required to receive and complete training as 4 of 5
55required to perform the essential job functions of a peer supporter in this context. All peer
56supporters working for the LGBTQIA+ peer respites shall also receive additional training
57required to serve members of this community.
58 (e) Each peer-run respite center shall be equipped to provide guests with peer respite and
59peer support services as defined herein and required by regulations implementing the provisions
60of this section. Each peer-run respite center shall be approved to and capable of providing guests
61with short-term, temporary lodging consistent with the definition of “peer respites” herein, as
62well as the requirements of this section and regulations implementing the same.
63 (f) The department shall only contract with peer-run organizations for the establishment
64of peer-run respite centers under this section. Peer-run respite centers shall be responsible for the
65provision, operation, and control of peer respite facilities, as well as peer respite and support
66services.
67 (g) The department shall provide funding for all peer-run respite centers that is sufficient
68to ensure that each peer-run respite center is capable of providing peer respite and peer support
69services. In making such appropriations necessary for this purpose, the department shall consider
70and account for funds needed for the purpose of: (i) recruiting peer supporters; (ii) training peer
71supporters; (iii) supervising and overseeing peer supporters; and (iv) conducting informational
72sessions and training on the functions and qualifications of peer supporters. Peer supporters shall
73be compensated at a rate sufficient to ensure that highly trained and skilled peer supporters will
74be retained and to maximize the positive impact of support.
75 (h) The department shall work with existing peer-run organizations providing peer respite
76services to identify training requirements, which may differ from training requirements for peer 5 of 5
77supporters or peer specialists working in other contexts, as well as a fidelity tool to establish and
78measure ongoing adherence to the basic components of each peer respite based on current
79leading guides to peer respites.
80 (i) The department shall also work with existing peer-run organizations, as well as
81stakeholders within the LGBTQIA+ community, to develop training requirements for individuals
82seeking to work as peer supporters in LGBTQIA+ peer-run respite centers.
83 (n) The department, in consultation with existing peer-run organizations shall develop
84regulations for the establishment and operation of the peer-run respite centers. Such regulations
85shall employ definitions and criteria consistent with this section.
86 (o) The department shall prepare an annual report on its progress toward implementing
87this section. The report shall identify any challenges and barriers regarding implementation, and
88detail the department’s strategy for overcoming any identified challenges or barriers. The report
89shall be provided to the committee on mental health, the committee on public health, and the
90house and senate committees on ways and means, and it shall be published on the public website
91of the department no later than October 1 each year.