This year’s legislative report from the Children’s Behavioral Health Advisory Council (of which CLM is a member) highlights priority areas and recommendations to strengthen the behavioral health system for children and families in Massachusetts.
Key highlights:
- This year, the Council focused on Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as priority areas.
- Significant service gaps persist, especially in rural regions, along with workforce shortages and fragmented care systems.
- Care coordination challenges and delays in accessing services remain major obstacles, especially for youth with complex needs.
- Disparities in access, particularly for historically marginalized communities, are an ongoing concern.
CBHAC’s Recommendations:
- Expand access to early screening, prevention, and intervention services, with a particular eye toward culturally responsive and relational approaches.
- Increase training, recruitment, and support for a diverse and well-trained behavioral health workforce.
- Strengthen cross-agency collaboration and create coordinated pathways (e.g. regional hubs) to streamline referrals and continuity of care.
- Revise existing rules to allow more qualified professionals (beyond physicians/psychologists) to conduct ASD assessments, reducing wait times.
- Promote sustainable funding models, equitable reimbursement, and policy changes that support prevention and promotion of mental health services. and strengthen cross-agency collaboration to ensure equitable access to behavioral health services.
CLM’s role on the Advisory Council ensures the voices of children, families, and providers are reflected in these recommendations.