KRS 210.040: Powers and duties of cabinet.

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall:

(1) Exercise all functions of the state in relation to the administration and operation of

the state facilities for the care and treatment of persons with mental illness;

(2) Establish or acquire, in accord ance with the provisions of KRS 56.440 to 56.550,

other or additional facilities for psychiatric care and treatment of persons who are or

may become state charges;

(3) Cooperate with other state agencies for the development of a statewide mental

health program looking toward the prevention of mental illness and the aftercare of

persons released from public or private mental hospitals;

(4) Provide for the custody, maintenance, care, and medical and psychiatric treatment

of the patients of the facilities oper ated by the cabinet, including emergency and

other medical care required to be provided outside of the facility while the patient is

admitted to the facility. Expenses of the outside medical provider, other than

elective procedures or elective surgery, sha ll be paid by the cabinet and included in

the determination of the patient liability when not covered by the patient's third -

party payor;

(5) Provide psychiatric consultation for the state penal and correctional institutions, and

for the state facilities o perated for children or for persons with an intellectual

disability;

(6) Administer and supervise programs for the care of persons with mental illness

outside of state facilities;

(7) Administer and supervise programs for the care of persons with chronic m ental

illness, including but not limited to provision of the following:

(a) Identification of persons with chronic mental illness residing in the area to be

served;

(b) Assistance to persons with chronic mental illness in gaining access to

essential mental health services, medical and rehabilitation services,

employment, housing, and other support services designed to enable persons

with chronic mental illness to function outside inpatient facilities to the

maximum extent of their capabilities;

(c) Establishment of community -based transitional living facilities with twenty -

four (24) hour supervision and community -based cooperative facilities with

part-time supervision; pro vided that, no more than either one (1) transitional

facility or one (1) cooperative facility may be established in a county

containing a city of the first class or consolidated local government with any

funds available to the cabinet;

(d) Assurance of the availability of a case manager for each person with chronic

mental illness to determine what services are needed and to be responsible for

their provision; and

(e) Coordination of the provision of mental health and related support services

with the provis ion of other support services to persons with chronic mental

illness;

(8) Require all providers who receive public funds through state contracts, state grants,

or reimbursement for services provided to have formalized quality assurance and

quality improvement processes, including but not limited to a grievance procedure;

and

(9) Supervise private mental hospitals receiving patients committed by order of a court.