§290ff Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances

Summary

The federal government, through the Center for Mental Health Services, must give grants to public entities so they can run community mental health programs for children with serious emotional disturbances and try to find kids who are at risk. A "public entity" means a State, a local government part of a State, or an Indian tribe or tribal organization. To get a grant, the State itself must already be a recipient under section 300x; a local government or tribe can get a grant only if their State is such a recipient. If a needed service is covered by the State’s Medicaid plan, the grantee must either provide that service and be enrolled under the plan, or hire an organization that is enrolled. The Secretary can waive the enrollment rule for organizations that do not charge or accept payment from third-party payers (like insurance or Federal/State health programs), and the decision on a waiver ignores whether the organization accepts voluntary donations. When awarding grants, the Secretary must spread money fairly across U.S. regions, consider which places need help most, and for local governments or tribes pay attention to the State’s comments and give extra consideration if the State will help with the required non-Federal matching funds. Grant recipients must provide non-Federal matching money or in-kind help at these rates: first year, $1 for each $3 of Federal funds; second and third years, $1 for each $3 of Federal funds; fourth year, $1 for each $1 of Federal funds; and fifth and sixth years, $2 for each $1 of Federal funds. Matching contributions can be cash or in-kind (like equipment or services) but cannot include Federal money or services largely paid for by the Federal Government. The Secretary will count only the portion of matching that is above the recipient’s average non-Federal support in the two years before the first grant year.