Resolve, To Establish and Fund Interventions for At-risk Families and Children

Sec. 1. Evidence-based practices services for at-risk families and children. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services shall provide grants to behavioral health providers to fund the costs of attracting, retaining and training new professional employees to deliver evidence-based outpatient psychosocial treatment services for children and families involved in the child protective services known as "functional family therapy - child welfare" and "multisystemic therapy for child abuse and neglect." The department shall consult with behavioral health providers to develop a rate of reimbursement for these services under MaineCare and amend its rules under rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Sections 28 and 65 accordingly. The rate must take into account the costs to providers of delivering services, including for additional training and maintenance of fidelity to the treatment models. The department shall seek federal funding including under the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2017 to cover the costs to develop and provide the services under MaineCare. If federal funding is not available for the costs to attract, retain and train new professional employees, the department shall provide grants using general funds.

SUMMARY

This resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to behavioral health providers to fund costs to attract, retain and train new professional employees to provide treatment services known as "functional family therapy - child welfare" and "multisystemic therapy for child abuse and neglect" to children and families involved in the child protective services. The department is required to develop a rate of reimbursement for these services under MaineCare and amend its rules in rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Sections 28 and 65 accordingly. The department is required to seek federal funding including under the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2017 for the grants. If federal funding is not available, the department is required to provide grants using general funds.