Section 40.1-8.5-5 - Powers and duties of community mental health boardsSubject to the provisions of this section and the rules and regulations of the director, each board shall:
(1) Identify the mental health service needs of its service area population;(2) Assess the mental health services available to meet the mental health needs within its service area;(3) Review and evaluate the mental health services provided by its center;(4) Ensure that the mental health services offered by its center with matchable funds and match address the identified mental health service needs of the service area to the maximum extent possible within the limits of the appropriated and allocated matching grant funds;(5) Be available to the department to plan and coordinate the development and delivery of mental health services within its service area;(6) Prepare and approve a plan and budget, prepared in accordance with department requirements, for the delivery of mental health services to be provided by its center with resources, including, but not limited to, matchable funds and matching grant funds; the plan and budget to be submitted annually to the department for its approval;(7) Develop and implement a mechanism by which its center's consumers and family members of its consumers participate in the overall goals, objectives, and methods of the center, as reflected in its plan;(8) Solicit public and private financial support for mental health services provided by its center;(9) Promote and approve contractual agreements with other state, federal, local, and private agencies, e.g., social service, judicial, health, and education entities, as it deems necessary;(10) Employ the executive administrator of its center and, in the event such a position is vacant, assume the functions of that position;(11) Arrange for and review its center's audit;(12) Ensure that funds available pursuant to this chapter are used to provide mental health services to those who do not have the ability to pay and that each client's eligibility to receive public or private assistance is exhausted prior to the expenditure of state and local monies available pursuant to this chapter.R.I. Gen. Laws § 40.1-8.5-5