Children and Young Adult Mental Health Crisis Act (HB2154)

• Establishes comprehensive mental health treatment requirements for children and young adults under age 26 with serious mental illness or emotional disturbance through mandatory insurance coverage and expanded Medicaid programs.

• Requires group and individual health insurance policies amended, delivered, issued, or renewed after December 31, 2020 to provide coverage for coordinated specialty care for first-episode psychosis, assertive community treatment (ACT), and community support team (CST) services as bundled, evidence-based treatment models.

• Restructures the Family Support Program (formerly Individual Care Grant program) to provide early intervention services to youth, emerging adults, and transition-age adults (up to age 25) with system of care principles including integrated behavioral health assessments, family-centered treatment, and interagency collaboration.

• Requires the Department of Insurance to establish medical necessity criteria and billing mechanisms for covered mental health treatments by June 30, 2020, and mandates the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to develop education materials and notification processes for families about available mental health services.

• Creates interagency coordination requirements including workgroups to develop specialized residential treatment options, increase substance use treatment access, and align children's behavioral health systems across state agencies consistent with nationally recognized system of care best practices.