HHS Releases Issue Brief on Behavioral Health Treatment for Children Involved with Child Welfare Services

On November 8, HHS released an issue brief providing updated data on behavioral health diagnoses and treatment services received by children and youth involved with child welfare. The brief, based on 2019 CMS data, found that more than 40 percent of Medicaid or CHIP-enrolled children and youth ages 3 to 17 involved with the child welfare system had been diagnosed with such conditions. The most common diagnoses were trauma/stress disorders, ADHD, behavior disorders, anxiety, and depression. Most (90 percent) who were diagnosed received treatment, as did 10 percent of those without diagnoses.  More than half of those diagnosed received psychotropic medications.