This resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services to implement certain recommendations made by the stakeholder group to address the problem of children and adolescents experiencing long stays in hospital emergency departments, established by Resolve 2023, chapter 134, as outlined in the stakeholder group's report to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services submitted on January 16, 2025. The department is directed to do the following:
1. Address the closure of beds for children and youth residential services by counseling service providers about resource needs and providing emergency funds to support acute staffing needs;
2. Develop an internal process to ensure that the department is meeting its obligations to make available and maximize its use of funding for early and periodic screening, diagnostic and treatment services;
3. Submit 2 additional reports to the Legislature related to the number of children experiencing long stays in hospital emergency departments and other matters related to youth services; and
4. Submit a report to the Legislature containing a gap analysis that describes all of the youth beds and programs added since 2018 and lost since 2018 and information concerning waiting lists and average time waiting for approval for youth programs. The report must also contain updates on the implementation and development of various policy efforts related to behavioral health services.