HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B. NO.
1123
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that addressing mental health needs early in life is imperative for better health and well-being in adulthood. Adverse childhood experiences, various forms of trauma during a child's development, are linked to a greater likelihood of lifelong risky behaviors that can lead to chronic diseases and poor mental health, including depression, anxiety, and suicidality.
The importance of children and adolescent mental health was emphasized during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The pandemic significantly impacted the social, emotional, and mental well-being of youth globally. Hawaii children and adolescents, like those in other states in the nation, were more likely to have depression and anxiety after the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The child and adolescent mental health division of the department of health is the State's Medicaid provider of intensive mental health services for youth. Services provided by the division may be described as a multi-tiered and multi-agency system of care.
The child and adolescent mental health division receives referrals from, and provides mental health services in coordination and collaboration with, other state government agencies, as appropriate. For example, the division may receive a client who is housed in a detention home, has been abused, and has dropped out of school. The division will provide the child with treatment and services in coordination with other state agencies, including the judiciary, child welfare services, and department of education, that may be involved given the child's circumstances. To minimize disruptions in the daily lives of the clients and their families, the division provides its clients with community-based services and supports by contracting with mental health professionals who practice near or in the communities where eligible children and adolescents live.
The purpose of this bill is to clarify and update the responsibilities of the child and adolescent mental health division of the department of health to reflect the current mental health systems of care that address mental health needs of children and adolescents in the State.
SECTION 2. Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding to part XV a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"[Underlined: §321- ] [Underlined: Definitions][Underlined: .] [Underlined: For the purposes of this part:]
[Underlined: "Client" means a child or adolescent who is receiving services from the child and adolescent mental health division.]
[Underlined: "Division" means the child and adolescent mental health division of the department of health.]"[Underlined: ]
SECTION 3. Section 321-171, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:[Underlined: ]
"§321-171 Children's [Underlined: and adolescents'] mental health services; department responsibility. It shall be the responsibility of the department of health to:
(1) Provide preventative health services for children and [Struck through: ][[Struck through: youth;]] [Underlined: and adolescents; and]
(2) Provide diagnostic and treatment services for emotionally disturbed children and [[Struck through: youth; and]
[Struck through: (3)] [Struck through: Provide treatment and rehabilitative services for mentally ill children and youth.]] [Underlined: adolescents.]
[[Struck through: Such]] [Underlined: These] services shall be delivered [[Struck through: at the earliest possible moment]] [Underlined: as soon as reasonably possible] after the need for [[Struck through: such]] [Underlined: the] services is established. [[Struck through: All]] [Underlined: Subject to the availability of state or federal resources,] eligible children and [[Struck through: youth]] [Underlined: adolescents] between the ages of birth and seventeen [Underlined: years] shall receive the necessary mental health services to [[Struck through: insure]] [Underlined: ensure] their proper and full development. [[Struck through: If there is any adjudication or settlement of any legal action involving the delivery of children's mental health services, the]] [Underlined: The] department of health shall be responsible for the coordination of carrying out the terms of [[Struck through: the]] [Underlined: any] judgment or settlement[[Struck through: .]] [Underlined: related to the delivery of children's and adolescents' mental health services, as required by this section.]"
SECTION 4. Section 321-172, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:[Underlined: ]
"§321-172 [[Struck through: Children's mental health services branch.]] [Underlined: Child and adolescent mental health division.] There is established within the department of health[[Struck through: , mental health division, a children's]] [Underlined: a child and adolescent] mental health [[Struck through: branch]] [Underlined: division,] which shall coordinate the effective and efficient delivery of mental health services to children and [[Struck through: youth,]] [Underlined: adolescents,] including services provided by private nonprofit agencies under contract to the department of health, and be responsible for the development and implementation of centralized and highly specialized programs for children and [[Struck through: youth.]] [Underlined: adolescents.]"
SECTION 5. Section 321-173, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:[Underlined: ]
"§321-173 [[Struck through: Community mental health services]] [Underlined: Family guidance centers] for children and [[Struck through: youth.]] [Underlined: adolescents.] [[Struck through: There is established within each community mental health center a children's mental health services team which,]] [Underlined: The division shall implement and administer family guidance centers. The family guidance centers,] in conjunction with public and private agencies, shall develop and provide a network of preventative, early identification, screening, diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitative services for children and [[Struck through: youth]] [Underlined: adolescents] based on the needs of each [[Struck through: geographic region]] [Underlined: county] in which the [[Struck through: community mental health]] [Underlined: family guidance] center is located. The [[Struck through: children's mental health services teams]] [Underlined: division] shall cooperate with and promote the coordination of the activities of local public and private agencies servicing children and [[Struck through: youth]] [Underlined: adolescents] in their [[Struck through: particular geographic area.]] [Underlined: county or the closest county that has resources and services that meet the client's needs.]"
SECTION 6. Section 321-175, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§321-175 Statewide [[Struck through: children's]] [Underlined: child and adolescent ]mental health services plan. (a) Commencing [[Struck through: on September 1, 1980,]] [Underlined: no later than twenty days before the convening of the regular session of 2027,] and every [[Struck through: four]] [Underlined: five] years thereafter, the [[Struck through: children's mental health services branch, on or before September 1 of each four-year cycle,]] [Underlined: division] shall develop and [[Struck through: present]] [Underlined: submit] to the governor and the legislature[[Struck through: , as well as release for public inspection and comment,]] a current statewide [[Struck through: children's]] [Underlined: child and adolescent] mental health services plan [[Struck through: which]] [Underlined: that] shall include:
(1) [[Struck through: A survey of the children and youth in the State who are (A) in need of and (B) receiving mental health services showing the total number of such children and youth and their geographic distribution;]] [Underlined: An assessment of the mental health needs of children and adolescents in the State;]
(2) [[Struck through: Identification of the public and private providers of mental health services to children and youth;]] [Underlined: An assessment of resources available to meet the mental health needs of children and adolescents in the State;]
(3) [[Struck through: Identification of the criteria and standards for the treatment to be received by emotionally disturbed or mentally ill children and youth;]] [Underlined: Identification of gaps between needs and available resources;]
[[Struck through: (4)] [Struck through: A program for the recruitment, orientation, and in-service training of personnel in community mental health services to children and youth, and to allied fields, including participation, as appropriate, by institutions of higher learning, state and local agencies, and other public and private agencies having relevant expertise;]
[Struck through: (5)]] [Underlined: (4)] A description of the provisions for prevention, [[Struck through: early identification,]] diagnosis, screening, [Underlined: and] treatment, [Underlined: which is inclusive of] [[Struck through: and]] rehabilitation [[Struck through: (including, with regard to treatment and rehabilitation, services provided through inpatient, outpatient, and community residential facilities) of children and youth in need of mental health services;]
[Struck through: (6)] [Struck through: An implementation plan for providing mental health services to all children and youth in the State in each of the above mentioned areas; and]
[Struck through: (7)] [Struck through: Any additional matters which may be necessary or appropriate, including recommendations for amendment of laws, changes in administrative practices and patterns of organization, and changes in levels and patterns of financial support relating to children's mental health services.]][Underlined: ; and]
[Underlined: (5)] [Underlined: Recommendations to the governor and the legislature on how mental health needs of children and adolescents can be met.]
(b) Prior to the submission of the statewide [[Struck through: children's]] [Underlined: child and adolescent] mental health services plan under subsection (a) to the governor and the legislature, the department of health shall hold [Underlined: public] hearings on the plan in accordance with [[Struck through: chapter 91.]] [Underlined: section 92-41.] There shall be at least one hearing in each county; [[Struck through: except]] [Underlined: provided] that the city and county of Honolulu shall have three hearings in strategic geographic locations to provide the widest exposure of the plan to the population.
(c) Any amendments to the statewide [[Struck through: children's]] [Underlined: child and adolescent] mental health services plan shall be [Underlined: made after public meetings held] in accordance with [[Struck through: chapter 91.]] [Underlined: subsection (b).]"
SECTION 7. Section 321-176, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.
["[Struck through: §321-176 Biennial review of progress. ][Struck through: Every two years, starting January 1, 1979, the department of health, on or before January 1 of each two-year cycle, shall submit to the legislature and the governor a report setting forth:]
[Struck through: (1)] [Struck through: A detailed analysis of the progress made toward fulfilling the statewide children's mental health services plan developed under section 321-175; and]
[Struck through: (2)] [Struck through: Other matters which are necessary or appropriate, including recommendations for any amendment to any law, any change in the administrative practices and patterns of organization, the current and prevailing memoranda of agreement, and any change in the levels and patterns of financial support.]"][Struck through: ]
SECTION 8. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 9. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
BY REQUEST
Report Title:
DOH; Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division; Child and Adolescent Mental Health; Services Plan
Description:
Clarifies and updates the responsibilities of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the Department of Health to reflect the current mental health systems of care that address the mental health needs of children and adolescents in the State.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.