225C.54 - MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH -- INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION.
225C.54 MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN
AND YOUTH -- INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION.
1. The mental health services system for children and youth shall
be initially implemented by the division commencing with the fiscal
year beginning July 1, 2008. The division shall begin implementation
by utilizing a competitive bidding process to allocate state block
grants to develop services through existing community mental health
centers, providers approved in a waiver adopted by the commission to
provide services to a county in lieu of a community mental health
center, and other local service partners. The implementation shall
be limited to the extent of the appropriations provided for the
children's system.
2. In order to maximize federal financial participation in the
children's system, the division and the department's Medicaid program
staff shall analyze the feasibility of leveraging existing Medicaid
options, such as expanding the home and community-based services
waiver for children's mental health services, reviewing the
feasibility of implementing other Medicaid options such as the
federal Tax Equity and Financial Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA)
option for children with severe mental illness or emotional
disturbance and Medicaid administrative funding, and determining the
need for service enhancements through revisions to the Medicaid state
plan and the federal state children's health insurance program and
the healthy and well kids in Iowa program.
3. Initial block grants shall support a wide range of children,
youth, and family services and initiatives including but not limited
to school-based mental health projects, system reviews providing
service gap analysis, status studies of the mental health needs of
children and youth in representative areas of the state, and mental
health assessment capacity development based in public and nonpublic
schools and clinical settings using standard functional assessment
tools. The purpose of developing the assessment capacity is to
determine children's and youths' degree of impairment in daily
functioning due to emotional, behavioral, psychological, psychiatric,
or substance use problems.
4. The initial block grants may also support an array of programs
and services including but not limited to mobile crisis intervention
services, or other support intended to prevent more intensive or
inpatient interventions, skills training, intensive care
coordination, and cognitive-behavioral and multisystemic family
therapy. In addition, support may be provided for
prevention-oriented services including mental health consultations
regarding home visits, child welfare, juvenile justice, and maternal
and child health services, and consultation for preschool programs.
5. The division shall report regularly to the commission, general
assembly, and governor concerning the implementation status of the
children's system, including but not limited to an annual report
submitted each January. The report may address funding requirements
and statutory amendments necessary to further develop the children's
system. Section History: Recent Form
2008 Acts, ch 1187, §56 Footnotes
Appropriation of funds for implementation of system beginning
January 1, 2009; 2008 Acts, ch 1187, §9; 2009 Acts, ch 182, §72, 87