Purpose

This bill broadens and extends funding for the Department of Human Services’ Direct Care and Treatment (DCT) program. It provides several one-time appropriations aimed at improving DCT operations, facility planning, and support for mental-health-related practices in county correctional facilities, and it adds a small base-budget adjustment. The changes are focused on extending the availability of existing funds and adding new targeted funding for specific DCT activities and oversight.

Main Provisions

• a) Free Communication Services for Patients and Clients

  • Amount: $1,368,000 in fiscal year 2025
  • Purpose: For free communication services under article 6 section 1
  • Availability: One-time appropriation, available until June 30, 2026

• b) Direct Care and Treatment Capacity – Miller Building

  • Amount: $1,796,000 in fiscal year 2025
  • Purpose: To design a replacement facility for the Miller Building on the Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center campus
  • Availability: One-time appropriation, available until June 30, 2027

• c) Direct Care and Treatment County Correctional Facility Support Pilot Program

  • Amount: $2,387,000 in fiscal year 2025
  • Purpose: Establish a two-year pilot program to:
  • Provide education and support to counties and county correctional facilities on protocols and best practices for involuntary medications for mental health treatment
  • Provide technical assistance to expand access to injectable psychotropic medications in county correctional facilities
  • Survey counties and their contracted medical providers on capacity to provide injectable psychotropic medications, including involuntary administration, and identify barriers
  • Availability: One-time appropriation, available until June 30, 2027 (text indicates 2026/2027 in places)

• d) Advisory Committee for Direct Care and Treatment

  • Amount: $482,000 in fiscal year 2025
  • Purpose: Administration of the advisory committee for the operation of Direct Care and Treatment
  • Availability: One-time appropriation, available until June 30, 2027

• e) Base Level Adjustment

  • Change: General fund base increase of $31,000 in fiscal year 2026; no increase in fiscal year 2027

Significance and Changes to Law

• Extends and clarifies the availability periods for several one-time appropriations related to DCT.
• Adds a new two-year county correctional facility pilot program focusing on involuntary medications for mental health treatment and access to injectable psychotropic medications in county facilities.
• Creates funding for the administration of the DCT advisory committee.
• Introduces a small permanent base-level funding adjustment starting in 2026.

Fiscal and Timing Details

• All items (a–d) are onetime appropriations with specified end dates (mid-2026 or mid-2027, per provision).
• The base level adjustment (e) is a permanent change in the 2026 budget, with no increase listed for 2027.

Implementation and Oversight

• The pilot program requires counties and their correctional facilities to receive education, protocols, and technical support about involuntary medications and injectable psychotropic medications.
• The bill also calls for surveys of facilities and contracted providers to assess capacity and barriers.
• Administrative funding supports the DCT advisory committee’s operations.

Relevant Terms

Direct Care and Treatment (DCT) Free communication services Miller Building Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center Direct Care and Treatment County Correctional Facility Support Pilot Program involuntary medications mental health treatment injectable psychotropic medications county correctional facilities contracted medical providers advisory committee for Direct Care and Treatment base level adjustment appropriation one-time appropriation fiscal year available until Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes section 16A.28 subdivision 3