What changed in HF 690

NEW SUBSECTION. 1A. “Child” or “children” means a person or persons under eighteen years of age.

NEW SUBSECTION. 1B. “Children’s behavioral health services” means services for children with a serious emotional disturbance.

NEW SUBSECTION. 1C. “Children’s behavioral health system” or “children’s system” means the behavioral health service system for children implemented pursuant to this subchapter.

NEW SUBSECTION.

11. “Serious emotional disturbance” means a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to meet diagnostic criteria specified within the most current diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders published by the American psychiatric association that results in a functional impairment. “Serious emotional disturbance” does not include substance use and developmental disorders unless such disorders co-occur with such a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder.

NEW SUBSECTION.

12. “State board” means the children’s behavioral health system state board created in section 225C.51.

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2. Section 225C.2, subsection 9, Code 2019, is amended by striking the subsection.

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3. Section 225C.4, subsection 1, Code 2019, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:

NEW PARAGRAPH. 0c. Assist the state board in planning for community-based children’s behavioral health services.

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4. Section 225C.4, subsection 1, paragraphs d and j, Code 2019, are amended to read as follows:

d. Encourage and facilitate coordination of mental health and disability services with the objective of developing and maintaining in the state a mental health and disability service delivery system to provide disability services to all persons in this state who need the services, regardless of the place of residence or economic circumstances of those persons. The administrator shall work with the commission and other state agencies, including but not limited to the departments of corrections, education, and public health and the state board of regents, to develop and implement a strategic plan to expand access to qualified mental health workers across the state.

j. Establish and maintain a data collection and management information system oriented to the needs of patients, providers, the department, and other programs or facilities in accordance with section 225C.6A. The system shall be used to identify, collect, and analyze service outcome and performance measures data in order to assess the effects of the services on the persons utilizing the services. The administrator shall annually submit to the commission information collected by the department indicating the changes and trends in the mental health and disability services system. The administrator shall make the outcome data available to the public.

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5. Section 225C.4, subsection 1, Code 2019, is amended by adding the following new paragraphs:

NEW PARAGRAPH. 0k. Encourage and facilitate coordination of children’s behavioral health services with the objective of developing and maintaining in the state a children’s behavioral health system to provide behavioral health services to all children in this state who need the services, regardless of the place of residence or economic circumstances of those children. The administrator shall work with the state board and other state agencies including but not limited to the department of education and the department of public health to develop and implement a strategic plan to expand access to qualified mental health workers across the state.

NEW PARAGRAPH. 00k. Establish and maintain a data collection and management information system oriented to the needs of children utilizing the children’s behavioral health system, providers, the department, and other programs or facilities in accordance with section 225C.6A. The system shall be used to identify, collect, and analyze service outcome and performance measures data in order to assess the effects of the services on the children utilizing the services. The administrator shall annually submit to the state board information collected by the department indicating the changes and trends in the children’s behavioral health system. The administrator shall make the outcome data available to the public.

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6. Section 225C.4, subsection 1, paragraph u, Code 2019, is amended by adding the following new subparagraph:

NEW SUBPARAGRAPH.

(9) School attendance.

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7. Section 225C.6B, subsection 3, Code 2019, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:

NEW PARAGRAPH.

c. Children’s behavioral health services provided to eligible children that are not covered under the medical assistance program or other third-party payor are the responsibility of the county-based regional service system.

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8.

NEW SECTION. 225C.51 Children’s behavioral health system state board.

1. A children’s behavioral health system state board is created as the state body to provide guidance on the implementation and management of a children’s behavioral health system for the provision of services to children with a serious emotional disturbance. The state board’s public voting members shall be appointed to four-year staggered terms by the governor and are subject to confirmation by the senate. All other state board voting members shall be appointed to four-year staggered terms and are not subject to confirmation by the senate. State board members shall be appointed on the basis of interest and experience in the fields of children’s behavioral health to ensure adequate representation from persons with life experiences and from persons knowledgeable about children’s behavioral health services. The department shall provide support to the state board, and the board may utilize staff support and other assistance provided to the state board by other persons. The state board shall meet at least four times per year. The membership of the state board shall consist of the following persons who, at the time of appointment to the state board, are active members of the indicated groups:

a. The director of the department or the director’s designee.

b. The director of the department of education or the director’s designee.

c. The director of the department of public health or the director’s designee.

d. The director of workforce development or the director’s designee.

e. One member shall be selected from nominees submitted by the state court administrator.

f. One member shall be selected from nominees submitted by the early childhood Iowa office in the department of management.

g. One member shall be a member of the mental health and disability services commission.

h. One member shall be a board member or an employee of a provider of mental health services to children.

i. One member shall be a board member or an employee of a provider of child welfare services.

j. One member shall be an administrator of an area education agency.

k. One member shall be an educator, counselor, or administrator of a school district.

l. One member shall be a representative of an established advocacy organization whose mission or purpose it is, in part, to further goals related to children’s mental health.

m. One member shall be a parent or guardian of a child currently utilizing or who has utilized behavioral health services.

n. One member shall be a sheriff.