§ 122C-118.1.  Structure of area board.

(a) An area board shall have no fewer than 11 and no more than 21 voting members. The board of county commissioners, or the boards of county commissioners within the area, shall appoint members consistent with the requirements provided in subsection (b) of this section. The process for appointing members shall ensure participation from each of the constituent counties of a multicounty area authority. If the board or boards fail to comply with the requirements of subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary shall appoint the unrepresented category. The boards of county commissioners within a multicounty area with a catchment population of at least 1,250,000 shall have the option to appoint members of the area board in a manner or with a composition other than as required by this section by each county adopting a resolution to that effect and receiving written approval from the Secretary. A member of the board may be removed with or without cause by the initial appointing authority. The area board may declare vacant the office of an appointed member who does not attend three consecutive scheduled meetings without justifiable excuse. The chair of the area board shall notify the appropriate appointing authority of any vacancy. Vacancies on the board shall be filled by the initial appointing authority before the end of the term of the vacated seat or within 90 days of the vacancy, whichever occurs first, and the appointments shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(b) Within the maximum membership provided in subsection (a) of this section, the membership of the area board shall reside within the catchment area and be composed as follows:

(1) At least one member who is a current county commissioner.

(2) The chair of the local Consumer and Family Advisory Committee (CFAC) or the chair's designee.

(3) At least one family member of the local CFAC, as recommended by the local CFAC, representing the interests of the following:

a. Individuals with mental illness.

b. Individuals in recovery from addiction.

c. Individuals with intellectual or other developmental disabilities.

(4) At least one openly declared consumer member of the local CFAC, as recommended by the local CFAC, representing the interests of the following:

a. Individuals with mental illness.

b. Individuals with intellectual or other developmental disabilities.

c. Individuals in recovery from addiction.

(5) An individual with health care expertise and experience in the fields of mental health, intellectual or other developmental disabilities, or substance abuse services.

(6) An individual with health care administration expertise consistent with the scale and nature of the managed care organization.

(7) An individual with financial expertise consistent with the scale and nature of the managed care organization.

(8) An individual with insurance expertise consistent with the scale and nature of the managed care organization.

(9) An individual with social services expertise and experience in the fields of mental health, intellectual or other developmental disabilities, or substance abuse services.

(10) An attorney with health care expertise.

(11) A member who represents the general public and who is not employed by or affiliated with the Department of Health and Human Services, as appointed by the Secretary.

(12) The President of the LME/MCO Provider Council or the President's designee to serve as a nonvoting member who shall participate only in Board activities that are open to the public.

(13) An administrator of a hospital providing mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse emergency services to serve as a nonvoting member who shall participate only in Board activities that are open to the public.

Except as provided in subdivisions (12) and (13) of this subsection, an individual that contracts with a local management entity (LME) for the delivery of mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services may not serve on the board of the LME for the period during which the contract for services is in effect. No person registered as a lobbyist under Chapter 120C of the General Statutes shall be appointed to or serve on an area authority board. Of the members described in subdivisions (2) through (4) of this subsection, the boards of county commissioners shall ensure there is at least one member representing the interest of each of the following: (i) individuals with mental illness, (ii) individuals with intellectual or other developmental disabilities, and (iii) individuals in recovery from addiction.

(c) The board of county commissioners may elect to appoint a member of the area authority board to fill concurrently no more than two categories of membership if the member has the qualifications or attributes of the two categories of membership.

(d) Any member of an area board who is a county commissioner serves on the board in an ex officio capacity at the pleasure of the initial appointing authority, for a term not to exceed the earlier of three years or the member's service as a county commissioner. Any member of an area board who is a county manager serves on the board at the pleasure of the initial appointing authority, for a term not to exceed the earlier of three years or the duration of the member's employment as a county manager. The terms of members on the area board shall be for three years, except that upon the initial formation of an area board in compliance with subsection (a) of this section, one-third shall be appointed for one year, one-third for two years, and all remaining members for three years. Members shall not be appointed for more than three consecutive terms.

(e) Upon request, the board shall provide information pertaining to the membership of the board that is a public record under Chapter 132 of the General Statutes.

(f) An area authority that adds one or more counties to its existing catchment area under G.S. 122C-115(c1) shall ensure that the expanded catchment area is represented through membership on the area board, with or without adding area board members under this section, as provided in G.S. 122C-118.1(a). (2001-437, s. 1.11(b); 2002-159, s. 40(a); 2006-142, s. 4(e); 2007-504, s. 1.4; 2010-31, s. 10.7; 2012-151, s. 3(a); 2013-85, ss. 6, 7; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, ss. 3.1(a), (b), 6.1.)