§ 17a-22ii — Mental and Behavioral Health Treatment Fund.

(a) There is established a Mental and Behavioral Health Treatment Fund, which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account, the resources of which shall be used by the Commissioner of Children and Families to assist families with the cost of obtaining (1) a drug or treatment prescribed for a child by a health care provider for the treatment of a mental or behavioral health condition if the cost of such drug or treatment is not covered by insurance or Medicaid, and (2) intensive evidence-based services or other intensive services to treat mental and behavioral health conditions in children and adolescents, including, but not limited to, intensive in-home child and adolescent psychiatric services and services provided by an intensive outpatient program, if the cost of such services is not covered by insurance or Medicaid. The Commissioner of Children and Families shall establish eligibility criteria for families to receive such assistance. Such eligibility requirements (A) shall include that a family has sought and been denied coverage or reimbursement for such drug or treatment or such intensive services by the family's health carrier, and (B) may include, but need not be limited to, a family's financial need. Not later than January 1, 2023, the Commissioner of Children and Families shall begin accepting applications for such assistance. (b) The Commissioner of Children and Families may accept on behalf of the fund any federal funds or private grants or gifts made for purposes of this section. The commissioner shall use such funds to make grants to families for the purposes described in this section. (c) Not later than January 1, 2023, the Departments of Children and Families and Consumer Protection and the Office of Policy and Management shall post in a conspicuous location on their respective Internet web sites a description of the grant program, including, but not limited to, the eligibility requirements and application process for the grant program. Not later than January 1, 2023, the Department of Children and Families shall (1) post such description on the Internet web site administered by the department that contains information regarding resources for connecting children and families to behavioral health services, (2) include such description on the documents developed by the department pursuant to section 17a-22r , and (3) provide such description to the 2-1-1 Infoline program operated by the United Way of Connecticut. The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management may request that another state agency post such description on such agency's Internet web site. (d) On or before January 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Children and Families shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a , to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health regarding the effectiveness of the grant program established under subsection (b) of this section.

Legislative History

(P.A. 22-47, S. 32.) History: P.A. 22-47 effective May 23, 2022.