4521. Psychological/Psychiatric Services

Policy Number & Title:  4521. Psychological/Psychiatric Services

Effective Date:  September 27, 1995

Purpose

  1. Services to provide psychiatric and psychological evaluations and treatment to implement a permanency plan, to prevent child abuse and neglect (CA/N), to prevent out-of-home placement, or to make placement/permanency planning decisions. See section 4539, below, for information regarding Inpatient Mental Health Treatment for Children. In general, there are two main types of psychological or psychiatric funding sources available for utilization by Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF): Title XIX/Healthy Kids (EPSDT) services through the Regional Support Networks (RSN) and DCYF direct funded services.
  2. The RSNs in the state are the conduit for mental health services for recipients of Medicaid. Serving as Prepaid Health Plans, these networks receive and distribute all state and federal mental health dollars to the community mental health centers, institutions, and other certified mental health providers.

Policy

  1. Under Healthy Kids Services, Medicaid-eligible children and their families are provided specific mental health evaluation and treatment. For eligible children or youth under 19 years of age, mental health services must be determined to be medically necessary as a result of a Healthy Kids/EPSDT health screen.
  2. Medicaid-funded mental health services must be the first choice for treatment. DCYF-funded services are to be used only when all other payment resources have been exhausted. Families or children or youth are eligible for DCYF direct-funded psychological or psychiatric services under the following circumstances:
    1. Parents or guardians or children or youth with an active Child Protective Services (CPS), Family Reconciliation Services (FRS), or Child and Family Welfare Services (CFWS) case.
    2. All RSN resources have been exhausted or the child or youth or parent or guardian is not eligible to receive the service under a Healthy Kids plan.
    3. The child or youth or family has demonstrated it doesn't have the financial resources or insurance to pay for the service.
    4. Funding is available to provide the service.
    5. Services are only available from DCYF-contracted providers.

Resources 

Psychological/Psychiatric Services procedures (Located in the DCYF Policies & Rules Office SharePoint)

Original Date:  September 27, 1995

Revised Date: 

Review Date:

Approved by: