Addressing Children's Mental Health

5001
April 28, 2022
Yesterday, the House unanimously passed HB 5001, An Act Concerning Children’s Mental Health. I was proud to serve as a member of the small, bi-partisan working group that developed and refined the seventy-three section bill. These efforts, together with the support of House leadership, advocates, providers, parents, and fellow legislators, led to a bill that provides necessary support and resources for children. The bill provides corresponding support for parents, providers, and teachers.

The plain language summary itself is 62 pages, which gives you a sense of the extent of the legislation. The proponents of the bill helped us draft a brief breakdown of what some of the provisions include:


 
During the debate on the bill, I spoke in support of the bill. You can watch my remarks here:
 
Enhancing the Behavioral Health Workforce
  • Creates a partnership with Connecticut Children’s to co-ordinate a training program for pediatricians to treat early-stage mental health concerns.
  • Provides funding for the recruitment and retention of child and adolescent psychologists to address the state shortage.
  • Expands License reciprocity for out of state mental health professionals to increase the number of providers and establishes a need-based state licensure fee scholarship with a focus on diverse applicants.
  • Establishes grant program for local school boards, youth camps, and summer programs to hire mental health specialists.
  • Creates a screening tool for pediatricians and emergency room physicians to recognize mental health concerns in children for early intervention.

Expanding Behavioral Health Treatment Facilities Across the State

  • Creates an intensive outpatient counseling pilot program in Waterbury for a federally qualified health center to provide treatment for adolescents with behavioral health needs. The program, slated to open before Fall 2022, will serve at least 144 children per year.
  • Supports opening of the new DCF Urgent Crisis Centers specializing in meeting urgent pediatric behavioral health needs.
  • Expands ACCESS Mental Health to provide up to three follow-up telehealth visits directly to certain patients after a pediatrician has first utilized ACCESS Mental Health on behalf of a patient and to provide short term care coordination services, through a contractor, for all patients on whose behalf ACCESS Mental Health is utilized.

Increasing Access Through Insurance Coverage

  • Eliminates prior authorization for inpatient psychiatric services in certain circumstances where there is imminent danger in the patient's health or safety, or the health or safety or safety others.
  • Requires individual and group health insurers to cover intensive evidence-based services used to treat mental and behavioral health conditions in children and adolescents.
  • Requires individual and group insurers to cover collaborative care for behavioral healthcare.
A rise in loneliness and lack of connection are two of the many reasons we are seeing an increase in mental health issues facing our young people and families. I was proud to be a part of developing this legislation, and will continue to support it and assure its passage in the Senate and signature by the Governor.