The development of services in the Kansas mental health system for children with severe emotional disabilities has lagged far behind the development of services for adults. Mental Health Reform, put in place by the 1990 Kansas Legislature, established a greater community capacity to provide for the needs of Kansans with mental health problems. But four-fifths of the funding for reform was for adults.

With the Children's Initiative, the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) is working to correct this imbalance and bring help to effected children.

Over the last eight months, the agency's Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Commission (MHDD) has been meeting regularly with families, public school officials, community mental health leaders, state and local government officials, and others to plan increased community services for children.

"With the Children's Initiative, we can begin bringing children's mental health services to parity with adult services and provide help for some families in dire need," said SRS Secretary Rochelle Chronister.

An often-stated request from people involved in the mental health system has been that services for children and youth with the most severe emotional disturbances be made more available in their homes and communities.. These children and youth, without the availability of such services, require state psychiatric hospitalization.

To help fund these needed community services, SRS this week applied for a waiver from the federal Health Care Financing Administration that would allow children with severe emotional disturbance to be covered by Medicaid, the state and federal health care program for low-income or disabled persons. Under the waiver, children who are determined to need the most intensive level of services would be eligible for all medically needed and currently existing Medicaid services along with several additional services. The additional services include respite care, family training, wraparound facilitation, independent living services, and increased hours of psychological testing.

Hugh Sage, MHDD commissioner, said each child or youth will have a highly individualized plan of care developed by the family, services providers, educators, and others.

Sage said home and community care for children with severe challenges is preferable to traditional institutional care.

"Intense and well-organized services can be provided without losing family life, school and friends," he said.

It is estimated up to 1,300 children and youth would receive services under the waiver. The application covers young people up to age 22.

Sage also said intensive home and community care is more cost effective in the long run than hospitalization because the family capacity to keep the child at home is strengthened and long-term adaptive behavior is built which prevents recurring crisis. As a condition to receive the waiver, the state must prove that services funded by Medicaid under the waiver are less costly than hospitalization.

The SRS goal for implementation of the waiver is October 1. The Health Care Financing Administration is expected to act on the waiver application by June.

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001