Chapter 06-001

2006 -- H 6761

Enacted 01/25/06

 

A N A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN,

 YOUTH AND FAMILIES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Costantino, and Naughton

     Date Introduced: January 10, 2006

 

 

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

 

     SECTION 1. Section 42-72-5.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-72 entitled "Children,

Youth, and Families Department" is hereby amended to read as follows:

 

     42-72-5.2. Development of a continuum of children's behavioral health programs. --

The departments of children, youth and families (DCYF) and human services (DHS) shall

cooperate to develop a design of a continuum of care for children's behavioral health services that

encourages the use of alternative psychiatric and other services to hospitalization and reviews the

utilization of each service in order to better match services and programs to the needs of the

children and families as well as continuously improve the quality of and access to services. The

departments of children, youth and families and human services shall present a report to the

governor and the general assembly no later than January 1, 2006 February 1, 2006 that fully

described this continuum of services and outlines a detailed plan for its implementation, including

resource requirements, responsibilities, milestones, and time frames, as well as a set of indicators

and program metrics that will be employed to evaluate its clinical and fiscal effectiveness over

time. The report shall also describe any and all changes proposed in program oversight or

budgetary responsibility for specific services. An important step towards the development of such

continuum of care is to assure the appropriate management of psychiatric hospitalizations. To that

end the state shall:

      (1) Amend contractual agreements with RIte Care health plans to reflect complete

responsibility for the management of psychiatric hospitalizations, specifically the development of

hospital diversion and post discharge services; and the utilization of crisis intervention services as

a requirement for authorization of a psychiatric admission for all children enrolled in RIte Care;

and

      (2) Issue a request for proposals to identify a contracted entity to reflect complete

responsibility for the management of psychiatric hospitalizations, specifically the development of

hospital diversion and post discharge services for crisis intervention services as a requirement for

authorization of a psychiatric admission for all Medicaid-eligible children not enrolled in RIte

Care. The request for proposals shall include a dispute resolution process.

 

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.     

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LC00553

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