Section 388.1631n Licensed Behavioral Health Providers for General Education Pupils; Advisory Council; Application; Services by Child and Adolescent Health Centers; Services to Nonpublic Students.

MI Comp L § 388.1631n (2019) (N/A)
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Sec. 31n.

(1) From the money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated for 2019-2020 for the purposes of this section an amount not to exceed $30,000,000.00 and from the general fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated for 2019-2020 for the purposes of this section an amount not to exceed $1,300,000.00. The department and the department of health and human services shall continue a program to distribute this funding to add licensed behavioral health providers for general education pupils, and shall continue to seek federal Medicaid match funding for all eligible mental health and support services.

(2) The department and the department of health and human services shall maintain an advisory council for programs funded under this section. The advisory council shall define goals for implementation of programs funded under this section, and shall provide feedback on that implementation. At a minimum, the advisory council shall consist of representatives of state associations representing school health, school mental health, school counseling, education, health care, and other organizations, representatives from the department and the department of health and human services, and a representative from the school safety task force created under Executive Order No. 2018-5. The department and department of health and human services, working with the advisory council, shall determine an approach to increase capacity for mental health and support services in schools for general education pupils, and shall determine where that increase in capacity qualifies for federal Medicaid match funding.

(3) The advisory council shall develop a fiduciary agent checklist for intermediate districts to facilitate development of a plan to submit to the department and to the department of health and human services. The department and department of health and human services shall determine the requirements and format for intermediate districts to submit a plan for possible funding under subsection (5). The department shall make applications for funding for this program available to districts and intermediate districts not later than December 1, 2019, and shall award the funding not later than February 1, 2020.

(4) The department of health and human services shall seek to amend the state Medicaid plan or obtain appropriate Medicaid waivers as necessary for the purpose of generating additional Medicaid match funding for school mental health and support services for general education pupils. The intent is that a successful state plan amendment or other Medicaid match mechanisms will result in additional federal Medicaid match funding for both the new funding allocated under this section and for any expenses already incurred by districts and intermediate districts for mental health and support services for general education pupils.

(5) From the funds allocated under subsection (1), there is allocated for 2019-2020 an amount not to exceed $6,500,000.00 to be distributed to the network of child and adolescent health centers to place a licensed master’s level behavioral health provider in schools that do not currently have services available to general education students. Existing child and adolescent health centers receiving funding under this subsection shall provide a commitment to maintain services and implement all available federal Medicaid match methodologies. The department of health and human services shall use all existing or additional federal Medicaid match opportunities to maximize funding allocated under this subsection. The department shall provide funds under this subsection to existing child and adolescent health centers in the same proportion that funding under section 31a(7) is provided to child and adolescent health centers located and operating in those districts.

(6) From the funds allocated under subsection (1), there is allocated for 2019-2020 an amount not to exceed $23,000,000.00 to be distributed to intermediate districts for the provision of mental health and support services to general education students. From the funds allocated under this subsection, the department shall distribute $410,700.00 to each intermediate district that submits a plan approved by the department and the department of health and human services. The department and department of health and human services shall work cooperatively in providing oversight and assistance to intermediate districts during the plan submission process and shall monitor the program upon implementation. An intermediate district shall use funds awarded under this subsection to provide funding to its constituent districts, including public school academies that are considered to be constituent districts under section 705(7) of the revised school code, MCL 380.705, for the provision of mental health and support services to general education students. In addition to the criteria identified under subsection (7), an intermediate district shall consider geography, cost, or other challenges when awarding funding to its constituent districts. If funding awarded to an intermediate district remains after funds are provided by the intermediate district to its constituent districts, the intermediate district may hire or contract for experts to provide mental health and support services to general education students residing within the boundaries of the intermediate district.

(7) A district requesting funds under this section from the intermediate district in which it is located shall submit an application for funding for the provision of mental health and support services to general education pupils. A district receiving funding from the application process described in this subsection shall provide services to nonpublic students upon request. An intermediate district shall not discriminate against an application submitted by a public school academy simply on the basis of the applicant being a public school academy. The department shall approve grant applications based on the following criteria:

(a) The district’s commitment to maintain mental health and support services delivered by licensed providers into future fiscal years.

(b) The district’s commitment to work with its intermediate district to use funding it receives under this section that is spent by the district for general education pupils toward participation in federal Medicaid match methodologies. A district must provide a local match of at least 20% of the funding allocated to the district under section 31n.

(c) The district’s commitment to adhere to any local funding requirements determined by the department and the department of health and human services.

(d) The extent of the district’s existing partnerships with community health care providers or the ability of the district to establish such partnerships.

(e) The district’s documentation of need, including gaps in current mental health and support services for the general education population.

(f) The district’s submission of a formal plan of action identifying the number of schools and students to be served.

(g) Whether the district will participate in ongoing trainings.

(h) Whether the district will submit an annual report to the state.

(i) Whether the district demonstrates a willingness to work with the state to establish program and service delivery benchmarks.

(j) Whether the district has developed a school safety plan or is in the process of developing a school safety plan.

(k) Any other requirements determined by the department or the department of health and human services.

(8) Funding under this section, including any federal Medicaid funds that are generated, must not be used to supplant existing services.

(9) Both of the following are allocated for 2019-2020 to the department of health and human services from the general fund money allocated under subsection (1):

(a) An amount not to exceed $1,000,000.00 for the purpose of upgrading technology and systems infrastructure and other administrative requirements to support the programs funded under this section.

(b) An amount not to exceed $300,000.00 for the purpose of administering the programs under this section and working on generating additional Medicaid funds as a result of programs funded under this section.

(10) From the funds allocated under subsection (1), there is allocated for 2019-2020 an amount not to exceed $500,000.00 to intermediate districts on an equal per intermediate district basis for the purpose of administering programs funded under this section.

(11) The department and the department of health and human services shall work with the advisory council to develop proposed measurements of outcomes and performance. Those measurements shall include, at a minimum, the number of pupils served, the number of schools served, and where those pupils and schools were located. The department and the department of health and human services shall compile data necessary to measure outcomes and performance, and districts and intermediate districts receiving funding under this section shall provide data requested by the department and department of health and human services for the measurement of outcomes and performance. The department and department of health and human services shall provide a report not later than December 1, 2019 and by December 1 annually thereafter to the house and senate appropriations subcommittees on school aid and health and human services, and to the house and senate fiscal agencies. At a minimum, the report must include measurements of outcomes and performance, proposals to increase efficacy and usefulness, proposals to increase performance, and proposals to expand coverage.

History: Add. 2018, Act 586, Imd. Eff. Dec. 28, 2018 ;-- Am. 2019, Act 58, Eff. Oct. 1, 2019