Access to Appropriate Residential Services for Children and Youth with Behavioral Health Needs: Draft Recommendations

This work is a continuation of the Commission’s examination of appropriate access to residential treatment services for Medicaid-enrolled youth. MACPAC staff began with an overview of key findings and challenges with access, and highlighted new information on federal efforts to create systems for tracking beds. MACPAC staff reviewed revised draft policy recommendations based on earlier feedback from Commissioners. These draft policy recommendations seek to address the absence of easily accessible, public information on facility and bed availability; the availability of data on use of residential care, in particular in out-of-state facilities; and strengthening discharge planning requirements, including for youth in out-of-state residential treatment.