NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1973 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 584

HOUSE BILL 546

 

 

AN ACT TO PROVIDE DIRECT GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED CHILDREN.

 

Whereas, the Senate in Senate Resolution 871 of 1971 has directed the Legislative Research Commission to make a complete in-depth study of the Department of Mental Health and related programs and to make recommendations to the General Assembly; and

Whereas, the Legislative Research Commission has reported its finding that mental health problems such as inadequacy of present services for emotionally disturbed children can and should be solved by increasing the responsibility of community mental health programs; and

Whereas, the Legislative Research Commission has recommended that additional incentives be offered to units of local government to begin or expand community mental health programs by means of increasing the State share of costs of such programs; and

Whereas, the Legislative Research Commission has found that programs for emotionally disturbed children in the State are grossly inadequate, and has recommended expanding such programs with an emphasis on treatment in the community and avoidance of institutionalization where possible; Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  Short title. This act may be cited as the Children's Community Mental Health Act of 1973.

Sec. 2.  Purpose of act. The purpose of this act is to provide an increased incentive for units of local government of the State to initiate and expand community programs for emotionally disturbed children by means of direct State grants-in-aid.

Sec. 3.  Amendments. Article 2A of Chapter 122 of the North Carolina General Statutes is hereby amended by inserting the following section:

"§ 122-35.13.  Direct grants to local mental health authorities for services to emotionally disturbed children. From State and federal funds available to the Department of Mental Health, the Department shall make direct grants to local mental health authorities for the sole purpose of programs of direct service to emotionally disturbed children which shall be in addition to the matching grants provided elsewhere in this Article. Such grants shall be awarded on the basis of need and shall have as their objective the treatment of the maximum number of emotionally disturbed children in the community rather than in institutions."

Sec. 4.  Appropriation. There is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the State Department of Mental Health the sum of $280,000 for the 1973-74 fiscal year for the purpose of direct grants to local mental health authorities for service to emotionally disturbed children as provided by Section 3 of this act. These appropriations shall be reduced by whatever amount the 1973 General Assembly shall otherwise appropriate for these purposes.

Sec. 5.  Effective date. This act shall become effective July 1, 1973.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 18th day of May, 1973.