HHSC: Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services

The Department of State Health Services established the Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services in accordance with S.B. 1507, 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015. The purpose of the committee is to provide customer/consumer and stakeholder input to the Health and Human Services system in the form of recommendations regarding access to forensic services within the state of Texas. The JCAFS considers and makes recommendations to the Legislature consistent with the committee’s purpose. Recommendations to the Legislature regarding access to forensic services include: Monitoring the implementation of updates to the bed day allocation methodology for allocating to each designated region a certain number of state-funded beds in state hospitals and other inpatient mental health facilities for voluntary, civil and forensic patients. Implementing a bed day utilization review protocol, including a peer review process. Planning for the coordination of forensic services.