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 designated under chapter 230A 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.

2008 Acts, ch 1187, §56; 2015 Acts, ch 69, §43