Partners for Our Children

SB 6363 creates the Office of the Behavioral Health Ombuds within the Office of the Governor to promote public awareness and understanding of state-funded behavioral health services, identify system issues and responses for the governor and the legislature to act upon and monitoring and ensuring compliance with administrative acts, relevant statutes, rules, contract terms, and policies pertaining to provision of behavioral health services, and the placement, supervision, and treatment of adults and children in state hospitals or in state-licensed facilities.

SB 6363 identifies the specific duties/responsibilities of the ombuds. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Social and Health services, state hospitals, the state health care authority, regional support networks, and behavioral health service providers (under contract) to allow the ombuds to communicate privately with any person in the custody of the state, permit the ombuds physical access to state institutions serving persons with behavioral health disorders and state-licensed facilities or residences, grant the ombuds the right to access, inspect, and copy all relevant information, records, or documents in their possession or control that the ombuds considers necessary in an investigation, and also grant the office of the behavioral health ombuds unrestricted online access to electronic databases.