Medicaid Policies to Help Young Children Access Key Infant-Early Childhood Mental Health Services:

these problems.8 At a time when there is grave concern Positive mental health in the early years is evident in about both children’s mental health and learning children’s curiosity and desire to explore, ability to loss during the pandemic, it is important to focus on express a range of emotions, and enjoyment of play, policies and practices that can support the mental communication, and nurturing. [...] In most states and for the majority EARLY AND PERIODIC SCREENING, DIAGNOSTIC, AND TREATMENT (EPSDT) EPSDT, Medicaid’s child health benefit, is designed to provide coverage for a comprehensive array of preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services for enrolled children ages birth to 21 years, and includes screening and services related to developmental and mental health. [...] This guidance explains that Medicaid to the child’s needs and interact with the child in now allows direct billing by and reimbursement to the ways that promote a healthy, nurturing parent-child consultant and to the provider receiving the consul- relationship. [...] (See box for resources.) RESOURCES Using Medicaid to Ensure the Healthy Social and Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers Promoting Research-informed State IECMH Policies and Scaled Initiatives A Sourcebook on Medicaid’s Role in Early Childhood: Advancing High Performing Medical Homes and Improving Lifelong Health EPSDT-A Guide for States: Coverage in the Medicaid Benefit for Children and A. [...] For example: Use guidance and incentives to encourage the use of specialized social-emotional screening tools and standardized parent depression and social-determinants of health screening tools Broaden criteria for access to IECMH services beyond a requirement for a child diagnosis; consider child and family risk factors that could qualify a child for IECMH services Expand the use of interprof.