(a)(1) The Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with representatives of the children and families served by the department, including children at increased risk of involvement with the juvenile justice system, providers of mental, emotional or behavioral health services for such children and families, advocates, and others interested in the well-being of children and families in this state, shall develop a comprehensive implementation plan, across agency and policy areas, for meeting the mental, emotional and behavioral health needs of all children in the state, and preventing or reducing the long-term negative impact of mental, emotional and behavioral health issues on children. In developing the implementation plan, the department shall include, at a minimum, the following strategies to prevent or reduce the long-term negative impact of mental, emotional and behavioral health issues on children:

(A) Employing prevention-focused techniques, with an emphasis on early identification and intervention;

(B) Ensuring access to developmentally-appropriate services;

(C) Offering comprehensive care within a continuum of services;

(D) Engaging communities, families and youths in the planning, delivery and evaluation of mental, emotional and behavioral health care services;

(E) Being sensitive to diversity by reflecting awareness of race, culture, religion, language and ability;

(F) Establishing results-based accountability measures to track progress towards the goals and objectives outlined in this section, sections 17a-22cc, 17a-22dd and 17a-248h and section 7 of public act 13-178*;

(G) Applying data-informed quality assurance strategies to address mental, emotional and behavioral health issues in children;

(H) Improving the integration of school and community-based mental health services;

(I) Enhancing early interventions, consumer input and public information and accountability by (i) in collaboration with the Department of Public Health, increasing family and youth engagement in medical homes; (ii) in collaboration with the Department of Social Services, increasing awareness of the 2-1-1 Infoline program; and (iii) in collaboration with each program that addresses the mental, emotional or behavioral health of children within the state, insofar as they receive public funds from the state, increasing the collection of data on the results of each program, including information on issues related to response times for treatment, provider availability and access to treatment options; and

(J) Identifying and addressing any increased risk of involvement in the juvenile and criminal justice system attributable to unmet mental, emotional and behavioral health needs of children.

(2) Not later than April 15, 2014, the commissioner shall submit and present a status report on the progress of the implementation plan, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children and appropriations.

(3) On or before October 1, 2014, the commissioner shall submit and present the implementation plan, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children and appropriations.

(4) On or before October 1, 2015, and biennially thereafter through and including 2019, the department shall, in collaboration with the Department of Education, Department of Social Services, Department of Developmental Services, Office of Early Childhood, Department of Public Health and Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch, submit and present progress reports on the status of implementation, and any data-driven recommendations to alter or augment the implementation in accordance with section 11-4a, to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children and appropriations.

(b) Emergency mobile psychiatric service providers shall collaborate with community-based mental health care agencies, school-based health centers and the contracting authority for each local or regional board of education throughout the state, utilizing a variety of methods, including, but not limited to, memoranda of understanding, policy and protocols regarding referrals and outreach and liaison between the respective entities. These methods shall be designed to (1) improve coordination and communication in order to enable such entities to promptly identify and refer children with mental, emotional or behavioral health issues to the appropriate treatment program, and (2) plan for any appropriate follow-up with the child and family.

(c) Local law enforcement agencies and local and regional boards of education that employ or engage school resource officers shall, provided federal funds are available, train school resource officers in nationally recognized best practices to prevent students with mental health issues from being victimized or disproportionately referred to the juvenile justice system as a result of their mental health issues.

(d) The Department of Children and Families, in collaboration with agencies that provide training for mental health care providers in urban, suburban and rural areas, shall provide phased-in, ongoing training for mental health care providers in evidence-based and trauma-informed interventions and practices.

(e) The state shall seek existing public or private reimbursement for (1) mental, emotional and behavioral health care services delivered in the home and in elementary and secondary schools, and (2) mental, emotional and behavioral health care services offered through the Department of Social Services pursuant to the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program under 42 USC 1396d.

(f) On or before October 1, 2017, the Department of Children and Families, in collaboration with the Judicial Branch and the Department of Correction, shall submit a plan to prevent or reduce the negative impact of mental, emotional and behavioral health issues on children and youth twenty years of age or younger who are held in secure detention or correctional confinement, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children and appropriations.

(g) On or before October 1, 2017, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Correction shall compile records regarding the frequency and use of physical restraint and seclusion, as defined in section 46a-150, on children and youth twenty years of age or younger who are in the custody of the commissioner at the John R. Manson Youth Institution, Cheshire, and shall submit a report summarizing such records, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children. Such report shall address the prior year and shall indicate, at a minimum, the frequency that (1) physical restraint was used as (A) an emergency intervention, and (B) a nonemergency intervention, and (2) restricted housing or other types of administrative segregation or seclusion were used at such facility.

(h) On or before July 1, 2018, the Department of Children and Families, in collaboration with the Children’s Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Health Plan Implementation Advisory Board, established pursuant to section 17a-22f, shall submit recommendations for addressing any unmet mental, emotional and behavioral health needs of children that are attributed to an increased risk of involvement in the juvenile and criminal justice systems, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children and appropriations.

(P.A. 13-178, S. 1, 4; P.A. 16-186, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 143.)

*Note: Section 7 of public act 13-178 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.

History: P.A. 13-178 effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 16-186 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to add provision re department to collaborate on progress reports on status of implementation, added Subsec. (f) re department to submit plan to address mental, emotional and behavioral health issues in children and youth held in secure detention or correctional confinement and added Subsec. (g) re Commissioner of Correction to compile records on frequency and use of physical restraint and seclusion on children and youth at John R. Manson Youth Institution; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding reference to children at risk of involvement with juvenile justice system, adding Subpara. (J) re increased risk of involvement in juvenile and criminal justice system, added Subsec. (h) re recommendations for addressing unmet mental, emotional and behavioral health needs of children and made a technical change, effective October 31, 2017.