Bill Text - SB458 (2022)

Relative to the Sununu youth services center and operation of a replacement secure facility.


Revision: March 9, 2022, 3:55 p.m.

Health and Human Services

March 9, 2022

2022-1057s

07/08

 

 

Amendment to SB 458-FN

 

Amend the bill by replacing all after the enacting clause with the following:

 

1 Department of Health and Human Services; Sununu Youth Services Center; Construction and Operation of a Replacement Secure Facility.  

I.  The department of health and human services shall be responsible to construct a secured treatment facility that is no more than 18 beds to replace the current Sununu youth services center (SYSC).  The department shall consult with any prospective community about the location and operation of any new 18 bed facility.  The facility shall be operated by the department of health and human services.  The facility shall be designed to meet the unique needs of youth who are at the facility pursuant to RSA 169-B:14, detention; RSA 169-B:19, commitment; RSA 169-B:24, transfer to superior court; RSA 169-B:32 or RSA 651:17-a, service of adult sentence of incarceration at the youth development center; and RSA 169-A, the interstate compact on juveniles.  Upon opening, the facility shall be referred to as the youth development center as identified in RSA 169-B and RSA 621.  The facility shall have the capacity for alternative flexible use when the census so permits.   

II.  The department of health and human services, in collaboration with the department of administrative services, shall issue a request to procure a qualified design build architect on or before August 1, 2022, and shall collaborate to select an architect, procure the resulting construction project, and complete the project on or before June 30, 2024. The SYSC shall be closed for incarceration, detention, or admission of any child upon the opening of the facility.

III.  The facility shall be designed to include:

(a)  A physical design that complements therapeutic and trauma-informed care of youth, including a home-like interior and exterior.

(b)  Designed to maximize staff visibility and proximity to youth, including administrative offices built within the secured facility in proximity to youth and staff.

(c)  Capacity to provide services to meet the medical, physical, and behavioral health needs of all potentially eligible youth.

(d)  Space for no more than 18 beds, including space with flexibility to meet the needs of all genders, safety and security, crisis stabilization, admissions, and discharges.

(e)  Adequate space to meet the educational needs of all youth including youth with special education needs.

(f)  Adequate space for indoor and outdoor recreation.

(g)  Capacity to meet the nutritional needs of all youth.

(h)  Necessary elements to be architecturally secure and equipped with video surveillance.

IV.  The facility programing and operations shall include:

(a)  Staff qualifications, standard job descriptions, and training that emphasize the treatment of youth with behavioral health challenges and considerable trauma histories applicable to the facility as well as for supporting youth in the community for flexible assignments based upon census changes.

(b)  Use of evidence-based practices, as defined in RSA 170-G:1, V-a, selected to match the needs of the population served at the facility.

(c)  Utilization of the uniform assessment, as specified in RSA 170-G:4-e, for all detained and committed youth to understand treatment needs and determine if a different level of care is indicated to meet the youth’s needs, and where problem behavior appears patterned, a functional behavior analysis to inform effective behavior interventions.

(d)  Provision of care management services by a care management entity, as established in RSA 135-F:4, to begin immediate wraparound support upon admission to plan for discharge.

(e)  Frequent visitation opportunities with family, opportunities to include family in activities and daily access to family through telephonic or video conferencing.

(f)  Educational programing and staffing that meets the individualized educational needs of youth, including youth with special education needs, creates meaningful educator-youth pairings, maintains connections with sending school districts, and which includes availability of Hi-SET preparation and testing as appropriate.

(g)  Integration of clinical sessions and recreational large muscle movement activities throughout the day.

(h)  Real-time access by the office of the child advocate, as established in RSA 21-V:4, II, to the electronic case management system used by the facility, regular access to youth placed in the facility under RSA 21-V:4, III, and video surveillance and general access to the facility pursuant to RSA 21-V:2, VII.

V.  The department of health and human services shall begin to implement the programming shifts in subparagraphs IV(a) through (h) immediately upon the effective date of this act, to be implemented while children remain at the SYSC by March 1, 2023.

VI. The department of health and human services shall submit quarterly progress reports to the joint legislative committee on health and human services, established by RSA 126-A:13, and to the office of the child advocate established under RSA 21-V beginning on or before August 1, 2022 until such time as the facility is operational.

VII.  The governor, with the approval of the fiscal committee of the general court, may delay the June 30, 2024 project completion date under paragraph II for construction delays or other unforeseen circumstances provided any such delay be no more than 2 years.

2 Possession and Disposal of Sununu Youth Services Center (SYSC). As of the date of the opening of the youth development center set forth in section 1 of this act, the department of administrative services shall take possession of the entire property currently housing the SYSC on South River Road in Manchester, New Hampshire. The department shall dispose of the property and any revenues received shall be deposited in the general fund. The department shall consult with the city of Manchester prior to any sale of the property.

3 Appropriation; Construction and Operation of a Replacement Secure Facility. The sum of $15,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023 is hereby appropriated to the department of health and human services for the design and construction of the new secured youth development facility, as described in section 1 of this act. Such funds shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated to the department for the purposes of this act. Of this amount, the governor shall determine if any remaining discretionary funds appropriated in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2 or any other federal funds can be used for this purpose and any remainder shall be general funds. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for the general fund share of said sum out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

4 Repeal. 2021, 91:329 and 91:330, relative to closure date of the Sununu youth services center, are repealed.

5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.