An act relating to establishing a residential peer respite facility in southern Vermont

This bill directs Vermont's Department of Mental Health to create a new two-bed residential peer respite facility in southern Vermont to help people experiencing mental health crises. The facility will offer short-term stays of up to two weeks for one bed and up to four weeks for the other, providing an alternative to hospitalization. The Department must issue a request for proposals by July 1, 2023, and contract with a provider by January 1, 2024, using $515,000 in state funding for the project. This initiative aims to increase available short-term residential options while reducing reliance on inpatient psychiatric care.