The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG) was established in 2016 to identify barriers to and opportunities for accessing behavioral health services for children and their families and advise the Legislature on statewide behavioral health services for those children and families.  There are 38 members of this work group, including legislators, state agency representatives, providers, parent and child representatives, and advocates.

The co-chairs of the work group are selected by the work group members and must include one legislative member and one executive branch member.  Staffing is provided by the Health Care Authority (HCA).

At the direction of the co-chairs of the work group, the work group may convene advisory groups to evaluate specific issues and report related findings and recommendations to the full work group.  CYBHWG presently has five subgroups:

• prenatal to age five relational health;
• workforce and rates;
• student behavioral health and suicide prevention;
• youth and young adult continuum of care; and
• behavioral health integration.

CYBHWG must submit recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature each November 1st until it expires on December 30, 2026.

CYBHWG must convene an advisory group to develop a strategic plan which describes:

• the current landscape of behavioral health services available to families in the perinatal phase, including gaps and barriers to access,
• a vision for the behavioral health service delivery system for families in the perinatal phase; and
• a comparison of the current system to the vision employing a cost-benefit analysis.

The advisory group members must serve by invitation of the CYBHWG co-chairs and may come from either within or outside the work group.  They must include:

• diverse community members with lived experience;
• representatives from the Department of Children, Youth and Families, Department of Social and Health Services, Department of Health, HCA, Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protective Services, Office of the Governor, Developmental Disabilities Administration, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Office of the Insurance Commissioner;
• two legislative members or alternates from CYBHWG;
• a tribal representative; and 
• individuals who have relevant subject matter expertise.

To assist the advisory group, HCA must contract with an entity to complete:

• the landscape analysis of behavioral heath services available to families in the perinatal phase;
• a gap analysis estimating the prevalence of needs in this population, including the estimated cost of providing services; and
• an analysis of peer-reviewed publications, evidence-based practices, and other practices and guidelines for delivery of behavioral health services to families in the perinatal phase, including materials on ways to provide access and workforce development strategies.

The advisory group must hold its first meeting by August 1, 2022, and engage contractors by October 1, 2022.  The advisory group must report its progress annually as part of the CYBHWG report before providing a draft strategic plan to CYBHWG by October 1, 2024.  The plan must include an incremental action plan, clear prioritization criteria, and a transparent evaluation plan.  The final strategic plan must be adopted by CYBHWG and delivered to the Governor and Legislature by November 1, 2024.

The membership of CYBHWG is increased by an additional member representing Medicaid managed care organizations.  One of the Medicaid managed care organization representatives must provide managed care to children and youth receiving child welfare services.

Members of CYBHWG or its advisory groups who have lived experience of receiving behavioral health services or being a family member of a person who has received behavioral health services may receive a stipend of $200 per day for attending a CYBHWG meeting either virtually or in person, provided they do not receive compensation or paid leave from their employer for participating in the meeting.

"Families in the perinatal phase" is defined to mean families during the time from pregnancy to one year after birth.

If specific funding is not provided in the budget by June 30, 2022, this act is null and void.