Prevention, Early Intervention, & Youth

Congress should require states to extend Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum.

Congress should establish federal funding for the Community Schoolyards project through the National Park Service’s (NPS) Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) to renovate asphalt schoolyards into schoolyard parks by providing grants to school districts, city parks, and water departments to fund renovations with oversight from federal agencies.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) should develop culturally competent guidelines for mental health and substance use service providers[1], particularly those serving predominantly underserved communities—particularly Black/African American; Hispanic/Latino; Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander; American Indian and Alaska Native; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex(LGBTQI+) communities[2][3]—through inclusive and responsive community engagement.

The Department of Education (DOE) should build a standardized framework for schools to implement the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework, establish dashboards for data collection and resources libraries on the MTSS framework, establish a certification program that recognizes districts that have implemented MTSS best practices, and establish a permanent position for school-based Medicaid services to support state education agencies in implementation.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should also clarify that Tier 1 supports under MTSS include prevention and early intervention services under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit.

Federal departments and agencies should make mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) data collection and reporting a top priority by finalizing a proposed rule to require states to report on MH/SUD measures in Medicaid, creating a common MH/SUD data model and reporting portal that all recipients of federal MH/SUD funds must use, reestablishing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Data Council, and adding new MH/SUD vital statistics records to the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) that are updated monthly.

Congress should extend Medicaid coverage to cover evidence-based housing support programs and other supportive services.[1] This could include allowing Medicaid to reimburse housing authorities for training and education about housing insecurity,[2] providing incentives in Medicaid funding to coordinate comprehensive support for housing placements,[2], and allowing states to fund transitional housing for individuals experiencing homelessness after leaving an institutional setting.[3]