IDENTIFICATION OF CERTAIN NURSING FACILITY RESIDENTS REQUIRING MENTAL HEALTH OR INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY SERVICES

(a) Each resident of a nursing facility who is considering making a transition to a community-based care setting shall be identified to determine the presence of a mental illness or intellectual disability, regardless of whether the resident is receiving treatment or services for a mental illness or intellectual disability. (b) In identifying residents having a mental illness or intellectual disability, the department shall use an identification process that is at least as effective as the mental health and intellectual disability identification process established by federal law. The results of the identification process may not be used to prevent a resident from remaining in the nursing facility unless the nursing facility is unable to provide adequate care for the resident. (c) The department shall compile information regarding each resident identified as having a mental illness or intellectual disability before the resident makes a transition from the nursing facility to a community-based care setting. The department shall provide to the Department of State Health Services information regarding each resident identified as having a mental illness. (d) The department and the Department of State Health Services shall use the information compiled and provided under Subsection (c) solely for the purposes of: (1) determining the need for and funding levels of mental health and intellectual disability services for residents making a transition from a nursing facility to a community-based care setting; (2) providing mental health or intellectual disability services to an identified resident after the resident makes that transition; and (3) referring an identified resident to a local mental health or local intellectual and developmental disability authority or private provider for additional mental health or intellectual disability services. (e) This section does not authorize the department to decide for a resident of a nursing facility that the resident will make a transition from the nursing facility to a community-based care setting.