In 2022, Rhode Island passed the Infant and Early Childhood Wellness Act, sponsored by Senator Alana DiMario and Representative Liana Cassar. Mental Health challenges are growing increasingly prevalent for young children in Rhode Island. Data show that 20% of children ages one through five with Rhode Island Medicaid insurance presented with serious mental health disturbance in 2022, up from 12% in 2017. The legislation required the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to convene a Task Force to develop a plan to improve screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health challenges for children from birth through age five with Medicaid coverage and to promote young children’s social-emotional well-being.
On June 30th, the state released the final Rhode Island Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Task Force Plan, also stating that additional work will continue to gather more clinical and community perspectives on the use of diagnostic systems for young children’s mental health. Many of the recommendations in this report align with those identified in the latest national survey report, Medicaid Policies to Help Young Children Access Key Infant-Early Childhood Mental Health Services. We look forward to advocating to advance these recommendations in the 2024 General Assembly session and FY2025 budget!
The report presents 10 priority recommendations to improve Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH):
- Implement a Coordinated Workforce Development Strategy (IECMH Clinicians)
- Implement Coordinated IECMH Workforce Development and Support: Broader Early Childhood Workforce
- Advance Policies to Address Underlying Inequities and Root Causes of IECMH Challenges
- Promote Universal Awareness of and Access to IECMH Supports
- Screen, Evaluate, and Connect Parents and Caregivers to Treatment
- Screen and Refer Children to Evaluation and Treatment for IECMH Challenges
- Ensure a Robust and Coordinated System of Preventive Interventions and Support
- Provide Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMH Consultation) in Early Childhood Settings
- Expand Access to Evidence-Based, Family-Based Dyadic IECMH Treatment
- Promote Developmentally Appropriate Assessment and Diagnosis
