§ 17a-20a — Mental and behavioral health consultation and care coordination program. Regulations.

(a) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall establish and implement a regional mental and behavioral health consultation and care coordination program for (1) primary care providers who serve children, and (2) the pediatric patients of such providers. Such program shall provide to such primary care providers (A) timely access to a consultation team that includes a child psychiatrist, social worker and a care coordinator, (B) patient care coordination and transitional services for mental or behavioral health care, and (C) training and education concerning patient access to mental and behavioral health services. Such program shall refer the pediatric patient of a primary care provider who serves children for not more than three follow-up telehealth or in-person appointments with a mental or behavioral health care provider (i) if such follow-up appointments are determined to be medically necessary by the primary care provider, and (ii) after the primary care provider has utilized such program on behalf of such patient and such patient has been prescribed medication to treat a mental or behavioral health condition. Such program shall cover, within available appropriations, the costs of such appointments. A primary care provider participating in such program shall refer a pediatric patient to a care coordinator who contracts with the Department of Children and Families, but is not participating in such program, to provide short-term assistance to a pediatric patient in obtaining mental or behavioral health care from a mental or behavioral health care provider who is not participating in such program. The department shall request reimbursement for services provided under this section from a health carrier prior to paying for such services with any funds appropriated for purposes of this section. The commissioner may enter into a contract for services to administer such program. (b) The Commissioner of Children and Families may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section.

Legislative History

(P.A. 13-3, S. 69; P.A. 22-47, S. 10.) History: P.A. 13-3 effective April 4, 2013; P.A. 22-47 amended Subsec. (a) by removing January 1, 2014, deadline for establishment and implementation, expanding program to include mental health consultation and care coordination, designating existing provision re primary care providers as Subdiv. (1), adding new Subdiv. (2) re pediatric patients, redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (3) as Subparas. (A) to (C), adding provisions re referral of pediatric patients by program and primary care providers, coverage of costs, and reimbursement, deleted former Subsec. (b) and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (b), and made technical changes, effective May 23, 2022.