HB 459 -- CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE SYSTEM

CO-SPONSORS:  Bean, Campbell, Holand, Johnson (61), Riback Wilson
(25), Donnelly

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Health
Care Policy by a vote of 14 to 0.

This bill establishes a comprehensive mental health service
system for children.

The system will be required to:

(1)  Be child centered, family focused, and family driven.  The
needs of the child and family will dictate the types and mix of
services provided;

(2)  Provide community-based mental health services to children
and their families;

(3)  Respond in a culturally competent and responsive manner;

(4)  Stress prevention, early identification, and intervention;

(5)  Assure access to a continuum of services;

(6)  Include early screening services;

(7)  Address problems associated with paying for mental health
services for children; and

(8)  Assure a smooth transition from mental health services
appropriate for children to mental health services needed by
persons at least 19 years of age.

The bill also requires:

(1)  Mental health services to be included under the Medicaid
Program if services are provided by an eligible system of a care
provider;

(2)  The Department of Mental Health, in collaboration with the
Division of Medical Services in the Department of Social
Services, to establish by rule the definition and criteria for
designation of a community-based service;

(3)  The Department of Social Services to conduct research into
all child custody cases in order to determine the needs of mental
health services and the absence of child abuse, neglect, or
abandonment;

(4)  Children in need of mental health services to receive those
services in the least restrictive and appropriate environment if
the children are returned to a family's custody by a judge; and

(5)  The Division of Family Services to apply for federal
waivers, including home and community-based waivers, from the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in order to provide
services to children.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Net Cost to General Revenue of Unknown
exceeding $200,000 in FY 2004, FY 2005, and FY 2006.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the provision of mental health
services for children continues to be a problem in Missouri.
Parents should not be forced to relinquish custody of their
children in order to receive services.  The bill will require
much needed research on the number of children in the custody of
the Department of Social Services who need mental health care
services, will provide a method to maximize state moneys for
mental health services by attracting federal matching dollars,
and will assist parents in their efforts to access mental health
care services for their children.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Bean; and Citizens
for Missouri's Children.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Joseph Deering, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated July 25, 2003 at 10:12 am