AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES

HB 5452 designates the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) as the lead state agency responsible for all children's behavioral health services, including contracting for necessary programs. It requires DCYF and the Department of Human Services (DHS) to develop a full range of behavioral health services that prioritize alternatives to hospitalization, with a report due by February 1, 2006, detailing implementation plans and metrics. The bill also mandates that DCYF manage psychiatric hospitalizations for all children, requiring crisis intervention services before admission for Medicaid-eligible children not enrolled in RIte Care health plans. This directly affects children needing behavioral health care and the agencies managing their services.