§ 7251. Principles for mental health care reform
The General Assembly adopts the following principles as a framework for reforming
the mental health care system in Vermont:
(1) The State of Vermont shall meet the needs of individuals with a mental condition or
psychiatric disability, including the needs of individuals in the custody of the Commissioner
of Corrections, and the State’s mental health system shall reflect excellence, best
practices, and the highest standards of care.
(2) Long-term planning shall look beyond the foreseeable future and present needs of the
mental health community. Programs shall be designed to be responsive to changes over
time in levels and types of needs, service delivery practices, and sources of funding.
(3) Vermont’s mental health system shall provide a coordinated continuum of care by the
Departments of Mental Health and of Corrections, designated hospitals, designated
agencies, and community and peer partners to ensure that individuals with a mental
condition or psychiatric disability receive care in the most integrated and least
restrictive settings available. Individuals’ treatment choices shall be honored to
the extent possible.
(4) The mental health system shall be integrated into the overall health care system and
ensure equal access to appropriate mental health care in a manner equivalent to other
aspects of health care as part of an integrated, holistic system of care.
(5) Vermont’s mental health system shall be geographically and financially accessible.
Resources shall be distributed based on demographics and geography to increase the
likelihood of treatment as close to the patient’s home as possible. All ranges of
services shall be available to individuals who need them, regardless of individuals’
ability to pay.
(6) The State’s mental health system shall ensure that the legal rights of individuals
with a mental condition or psychiatric disability are protected.
(7) Oversight and accountability shall be built into all aspects of the mental health
system.
(8) Vermont’s mental health system shall be adequately funded and financially sustainable
to the same degree as other health services.
(9) Individuals with a psychiatric disability or mental condition who are in the custody
or temporary custody of the Commissioner of Mental Health and who receive treatment
in an acute inpatient hospital unit, an intensive residential recovery facility, or
a secure residential recovery facility shall be afforded rights and protections that
reflect evidence-based best practices aimed at reducing the use of emergency involuntary
procedures. (Added 2011, No. 79 (Adj. Sess.), § 1a, eff. April 4, 2012; amended 2013, No. 96 (Adj. Sess.), § 101; 2015, No. 21, § 2, eff. May 13, 2015; 2017, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 13.)