DMH's authority and responsibilities include its right to set standards to establish minimum required services and also to establish standards for construction and operation of DMH facilities. DMH is charged by statue with the following duties:

• To establish state plans for the purpose of controlling and treating all forms of emotional illness, alcoholism, drug misuse, and developmental disabilities;
  
• To develop and implement state plans for the purpose of assisting with the care and treatment of persons with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia;
  
• To maintain jurisdiction, administration, and operation of four mental health hospitals, five comprehensive regional centers, and any other mental health or mental retardation facilities which have been or may be established through legislative action;
  
• To serve as a single state agency in the administration of available fiscal resources for training, research, and education regarding all forms of mental illness, mental retardation, alcoholism, drug misuse, and developmental disabilities. To serve in such capacity unless such funds are specifically designated to a particular agency or institution by the federal government, Mississippi Legislature, or any other grantor;
  
• To supervise, coordinate, and establish standards for all mental health-related operations and activities;
  
• To assist regional mental health/mental retardation commissions in the development of community/regional programs and services;
  
• To establish and promulgate reasonable minimum standards for construction and operation of facilities, including admission, diagnosis, care, treatment, and patient/records transfer. Further, under such standards, to provide day care, outpatient care, emergency care, inpatient care, and follow-up care, when such care is provided as appropriate and necessary; and,
  
• To assist community or regional programs by making grants and contracts from available funds.