Honorable Four Price, Chair, House Committee on Public Health
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2866 by Moody (Relating to mental health assessments and the provision of mental health services for children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Family Code relating to mental health assessments and the provision of mental health services for children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).
According to DFPS the mental health assessment, Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment, currently provided to children over the age of three entering conservatorship of DFPS would meet the requirements of a mental health screening as required by the bill. The bill would require the screening to be provided sooner, but the cost to provide the screening would not increase as a result. Additional screenings would need to be provided to children three and under but it is assumed the screening could be provided as part of the medical assessment already provided. The assessment would need to be provided sooner but the additional cost of including a mental health assessment as part of that visit would not be expected to result in a significant cost for the small number of children affected. In addition, the accelerated timeline for providing services could be difficult to achieve in areas of the state where provider capacity is limited. In those instances there could be an increased cost related to transporting children increased distances to receive screenings, which could require additional staff to accomplish.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2017.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.