2024 -- S 2608 | |
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LC004532 | |
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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 | |
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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: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Chapter 42-7.2 of the General Laws entitled "Office of Health and Human |
2 | Services" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: |
3 | 42-7.2-21. Early childhood mental health hub - Pilot program. |
4 | (a) There is hereby established a five (5) year pilot program to be administered by the |
5 | executive office of health and human services. |
6 | The executive office of health and human services shall establish an early childhood mental |
7 | health hub program focused on improving access to infant and early childhood mental health |
8 | services for children under age six (6) and their families. The hub shall be funded as a pilot program |
9 | funded for a minimum of five (5) years to: |
10 | (1) Train and support infant and early childhood mental health professionals in Rhode |
11 | Island; |
12 | (2) Maintain a registry of infant and early childhood mental health professionals and their |
13 | qualifications; |
14 | (3) Monitor the availability of services, new national recommendations, and advancements |
15 | in interventions/therapies; and |
16 | (4) Make recommendations to Medicaid and behavioral health systems to address gaps. |
17 | (b) The early childhood mental health hub shall be designed to integrate and align with the |
18 | Rhode Island children’s behavioral health system of care managed by the executive office of health |
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1 | and human services. Needs outlined in the Rhode Island infant early childhood mental health plan |
2 | shall be early priorities for the hub including: |
3 | (1) Offer state-supported training and ongoing implementation support for clinicians to |
4 | become certified and to use evidence-based, family-based dyadic therapy models for young |
5 | children under age six (6), such as Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Parent-Child Interaction |
6 | Therapy (PCIT), and Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC)). Building the training |
7 | capacity in the state by holding train-the-trainers should be considered. |
8 | (2) Offer state-supported training and ongoing implementation support on |
9 | developmentally-appropriate screenings to identify mental health challenges in young children |
10 | from infancy to age six (6). |
11 | (3) Offer state-supported training and ongoing implementation support for clinicians to |
12 | conduct developmentally-appropriate evaluations of mental health in young children under age six |
13 | (6). |
14 | (4) To advance equitable access to services and reduce racial and ethnic disparities, |
15 | increase the number of infant and early childhood qualified mental health clinicians who are |
16 | bilingual and/or represent the diverse races, ethnicities, and cultures of young children and families |
17 | in Rhode Island. |
18 | (5) Serve as a community resource for families and health professionals to find and connect |
19 | with effective therapeutic services for young children suffering with mental health challenges. |
20 | (c) The general assembly shall appropriate the funds required to administer the pilot |
21 | program established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. |
22 | (d) The secretary shall report a summary of the programs activities, accomplishments, |
23 | anticipated activities to be implemented in the future, consolidated financials and disbursements, |
24 | and recommendations to enhance or improve the program to the governor, the speaker of the house |
25 | and the president of the senate by January 1, 2025 and annually thereafter. |
26 | 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 | |
*** | |
1 | This act would require the executive office of health and human services to establish an |
2 | early childhood mental health hub program focused on improving access to infant and early |
3 | childhood mental health services for children under age six (6) and their families. The hub would |
4 | be funded as a pilot program funded for a minimum of five (5) years. |
5 | This act would take effect July 1, 2024. |
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