The bill requires the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) to submit a detailed report to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means by April 1, 2025. This report will outline the funds distributed through the Program for Assertive Community Treatment for Youth (PACT-Y), including the number of new programs created, the recipients of these funds, the locations of the programs, the number of individuals served, and their ages. The PACT-Y program is designed for individuals under 22 years old with serious emotional disturbances who have not benefited from traditional services. It employs a multi-disciplinary, community-based team approach and has shown promising outcomes, with 75% of youth discharged experiencing positive results.

The report will also address the projected need for new programs in the upcoming fiscal year. Currently, there are seven PACT-Y teams across the state, but staffing shortages have led to under-utilization of some teams. The program is facing a significant funding gap, losing approximately $4 million in ARPA and COVID Emergency Funding, along with a proposed $1.5 million budget reduction for FY26. If these cuts are implemented, the number of PACT-Y teams could be reduced from seven to three, which would adversely affect service availability across the Commonwealth.