71-7107.

Department of Health and Human Services; duties.

(1) The Department of Health and Human Services shall be the lead agency for the program.

(2) Until July 1, 2026, the department shall:

(a) Provide office support to program activities;

(b) Provide necessary equipment for the program and participants;

(c) Provide staff support to the Critical Incident Stress Management Council;

(d) Adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to implement the program;

(e) Recruit hospital personnel and emergency medical workers to be trained as critical incident stress management peers;

(f) Participate in the training and continuing education of such peers and mental health professionals; and

(g) Appoint a director for the program who shall be an employee of the department and shall be the chairperson of the Interagency Management Committee.

(3) On and after July 1, 2026, the department shall:

(a) Coordinate program activities and emergency response;

(b) Provide necessary equipment for the program and participants;

(c) Recruit hospital personnel and emergency medical workers to be trained as critical incident stress management peers;

(d) Participate in the training and continuing education of such peers and mental health professionals;

(e) Appoint a director for the program who shall be an employee of the department;

(f) Specify the organizational and operational goals for the program and provide overall policy direction for the program;

(g) Manage planning and budget development for the program;

(h) Manage program development and evaluation;

(i) Provide a mechanism for quality assurance that may include certification of critical incident stress management team members;

(j) Identify critical incident stress management regions; and

(k) Provide backup to regional critical incident stress management teams.

(4) The department may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to implement the program.