2024 -- S 2608

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

     

     Introduced By: Senators DiMario, Miller, Lauria, Cano, Valverde, and Lawson

     Date Introduced: March 01, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 42-7.2 of the General Laws entitled "Office of Health and Human

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Services" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     42-7.2-21. Early childhood mental health hub - Pilot program.

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     (a) There is hereby established a five (5) year pilot program to be administered by the

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executive office of health and human services.

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     The executive office of health and human services shall establish an early childhood mental

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health hub program focused on improving access to infant and early childhood mental health

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services for children under age six (6) and their families. The hub shall be funded as a pilot program

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funded for a minimum of five (5) years to:

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     (1) Train and support infant and early childhood mental health professionals in Rhode

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Island;

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     (2) Maintain a registry of infant and early childhood mental health professionals and their

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qualifications;

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     (3) Monitor the availability of services, new national recommendations, and advancements

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in interventions/therapies; and

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     (4) Make recommendations to Medicaid and behavioral health systems to address gaps.

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     (b) The early childhood mental health hub shall be designed to integrate and align with the

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Rhode Island children’s behavioral health system of care managed by the executive office of health

 

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and human services. Needs outlined in the Rhode Island infant early childhood mental health plan

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shall be early priorities for the hub including:

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     (1) Offer state-supported training and ongoing implementation support for clinicians to

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become certified and to use evidence-based, family-based dyadic therapy models for young

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children under age six (6), such as Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Parent-Child Interaction

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Therapy (PCIT), and Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC)). Building the training

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capacity in the state by holding train-the-trainers should be considered.

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     (2) Offer state-supported training and ongoing implementation support on

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developmentally-appropriate screenings to identify mental health challenges in young children

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from infancy to age six (6).

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     (3) Offer state-supported training and ongoing implementation support for clinicians to

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conduct developmentally-appropriate evaluations of mental health in young children under age six

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(6).

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     (4) To advance equitable access to services and reduce racial and ethnic disparities,

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increase the number of infant and early childhood qualified mental health clinicians who are

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bilingual and/or represent the diverse races, ethnicities, and cultures of young children and families

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in Rhode Island.

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     (5) Serve as a community resource for families and health professionals to find and connect

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with effective therapeutic services for young children suffering with mental health challenges.

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     (c) The general assembly shall appropriate the funds required to administer the pilot

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program established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

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     (d) The secretary shall report a summary of the programs activities, accomplishments,

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anticipated activities to be implemented in the future, consolidated financials and disbursements,

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and recommendations to enhance or improve the program to the governor, the speaker of the house

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and the president of the senate by January 1, 2025 and annually thereafter.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

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     This act would require the executive office of health and human services to establish an

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early childhood mental health hub program focused on improving access to infant and early

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childhood mental health services for children under age six (6) and their families. The hub would

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be funded as a pilot program funded for a minimum of five (5) years.

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     This act would take effect July 1, 2024.

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