Behavioral Health Interagency Collaboration.

(1) The department and the Agency for Health Care Administration shall jointly establish behavioral health interagency collaboratives throughout the state with the goal of identifying and addressing ongoing challenges within the behavioral health system at the local level to improve the accessibility, availability, and quality of behavioral health services. The objectives of the regional collaboratives are to:

(a) Facilitate enhanced interagency communication and collaboration.

(b) Develop and promote regional strategies tailored to address community-level challenges in the behavioral health system.

(2) The regional collaborative membership shall, at a minimum, be composed of representatives from all of the following, serving the region:

(a) Department of Children and Families.

(b) Agency for Health Care Administration.

(c) Agency for Persons with Disabilities.

(d) Department of Elder Affairs.

(e) Department of Health.

(f) Department of Education.

(g) School districts.

(h) Area agencies on aging.

(i) Community-based care lead agencies, as defined in s. 409.986(3)(d).

(j) Managing entities, as defined in s. 394.9082(2).

(k) Behavioral health services providers.

(l) Hospitals.

(m) Medicaid Managed Medical Assistance Plans.

(n) Police departments.

(o) Sheriffs’ offices.

(3) Each regional collaborative shall define the objectives of that collaborative based upon the specific needs of the region and local communities located within the region, to achieve the specified goals.

(4) The department shall define the region to be served by each collaborative and shall be responsible for facilitating meetings.

(5) All entities represented on the regional collaboratives shall provide assistance as appropriate and reasonably necessary to fulfill the goals of the regional collaboratives.