Section 4301 - General powers and duties of local authorities; mental health and intellectual disability program and services(a) The local authorities of each county separately or in concert with another county or counties, as the secretary may approve, shall establish a county mental health and intellectual disability program for the prevention of mental disability, and for the diagnosis, care, treatment, rehabilitation and detention of the mentally disabled and shall have power to make appropriations for such purposes. Such program shall conform with regulations of the department promulgated under section 202(2) . (b) To ensure the operation of a county mental health and intellectual disability program in each county, the secretary subject to the provisions of section 201(3) shall have the power to direct the local authorities of any county to join with the local authorities of any other county to establish such program or become a part of a program existing in such other county or counties.(c) To operate such county mental health and intellectual disability program, the local authorities shall employ such personnel as are necessary. The selection, appointment and retention of such employes, and the termination of their employment shall be on the basis of a merit system which shall conform to minimum standards established by the department with the advice of the Advisory Committee for Mental Health and Intellectual Disability. Such minimum standards shall not become effective until the department shall have given the local authorities thirty days' written notice of the proposed standards and afforded the local authorities the opportunity for a hearing before the department on the proposed minimum standards.(d) Subject to the provisions of sections 508 and 509(5) it shall be the duty of local authorities in cooperation with the department to ensure that the following mental health and intellectual disability services are available: (1) Short term inpatient services other than those provided by the State.(3) Partial hospitalization services.(4) Emergency services twenty-four hours per day which shall be provided by, or available within at least one of the types of services specified heretofore in this paragraph.(5) Consultation and education services to professional personnel and community agencies.(6) Aftercare services for persons released from State and County facilities.(7) Specialized rehabilitative and training services including sheltered workshops.(8) Interim care of those with intellectual disabilities who have been removed from their homes and who having been accepted, are awaiting admission to a State operated facility.(9) Unified procedures for intake for all county services and a central place providing referral services and information.(e) Such local authorities shall also have the power to establish the following additional services or programs for the mentally disabled: (1) Training of personnel.(3) Any other service or program designed to prevent mental disability or the necessity of admitting or committing the mentally disabled to a facility.(f) Services herein required or authorized may be provided either directly or by purchase of such services, except that the services required in section 301(d)(9) shall be provided directly through the county administrator.(g) To establish local mental health and intellectual disability boards in accordance with provisions of section 302. 1966, Special Sess. No. 3, Oct. 20, P.L. 96, art. III, § 301, effective 1/1/1967. Amended 2011, Nov. 22, P.L. 420, No. 105, § 2, imd. effective.