Transforming Children's Behavioral Health Policy and Planning Committee holds kickoff meeting July 10 at Legislative Office Building in Hartford

Transforming Children’s Behavioral Health Policy and Planning Committee holds kickoff meeting July 10 at Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

The Transforming Children’s Behavioral Health Policy and Planning Committee kicked off its work with initial meeting on Monday, July 10 at 1 p.m. in Room 2C of the Legislative Office Building.

State Representative Tammy Exum (D-West Hartford, Avon), State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton) and Claudio Gualtieri, senior policy advisory from the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) serve as tri-chairs of the committee – established by law in 2022 and further refined during the recent legislative session – tasked with evaluating the availability and efficacy of prevention, early intervention, and behavioral health treatment services and options for children from birth to 18 years of age.

The committee will also make recommendations on the governance and administration of the children’s behavioral health care system to the legislature and executive agencies to ensure equitable access to services. The Tow Youth Justice Institute is staffing and facilitating the committee’s work, which will include other children’s behavioral health stakeholders in the state. Children’s behavioral health encompasses mental health and substance use disorders, as well as overall psychological well-being.