Subdivision 1. Citation. Sections 245.491 to 245.495 may be cited as "the children's mental health integrated fund."

Subd. 2. Purpose. The legislature finds that children with emotional or behavioral disturbances or who are at risk of suffering such disturbances often require services from multiple service systems including mental health, social services, education, corrections, juvenile court, health, and employment and economic development. In order to better meet the needs of these children, it is the intent of the legislature to establish an integrated children's mental health service system that:

(1) allows local service decision makers to draw funding from a single local source so that funds follow clients and eliminates the need to match clients, funds, services, and provider eligibilities;

(2) creates a local pool of state, local, and private funds to procure a greater medical assistance federal financial participation;

(3) improves the efficiency of use of existing resources;

(4) minimizes or eliminates the incentives for cost and risk shifting; and

(5) increases the incentives for earlier identification and intervention.

The children's mental health integrated fund established under sections 245.491 to 245.495 must be used to develop and support this integrated mental health service system. In developing this integrated service system, it is not the intent of the legislature to limit any rights available to children and their families through existing federal and state laws.

History: 1Sp1993 c 1 art 7 s 11; 1994 c 483 s 1; 1Sp2003 c 14 art 11 s 11; 2009 c 86 art 1 s 89