Political Quotes

“Mr. President, each year nearly 3 million youth receive mental health services to address a range of issues including depression, severe mental illness, and suicide prevention. When youth with mental health needs are treated early, with the most appropriate care for their situation, they are more likely to have positive outcomes during both their childhood and their adult life. I have worked with my colleague Senator Grassley on a bipartisan bill that will expand the Medicaid 1915(c) waiver to provide an option to serve children and adolescents with intensive home or community-based treatment services in lieu of being treated as inpatients in a psychiatric residential treatment facility. There are currently nine States participating in a 1915(c) waiver demonstration focused on children and adolescents, which expires in September of this year. Data has shown that the youth served through this demonstration waiver have had positive outcomes, have been able to stabilize, and have had significant improvement in mental and behavioral health. The waiver gives States more flexibility to offer the most appropriate mental health services for children on Medicaid. Without access to intensive home or community-based services, these children could otherwise be institutionalized. The waiver expansion will allow more States the opportunity to provide cost-effective care that best meets their children's mental health needs.…”