Sec 36-3433. Annual budget; request and allocation

A. The administration shall annually include in its budget request a separate appropriations request for the comprehensive behavioral health service system for children. The request shall be based on the annual plan and assessment. All behavioral health services provided for children by the administration shall be included in the request.

B. In preparing its budget request, the administration shall:

1. Identify that at least twenty percent of the total amount of appropriations requested be set aside for prevention and early identification programs.

2. Allocate up to five percent of the total appropriations requested for evaluation of the system.

3. Establish priorities for allocation of funding that include:

(a) Outpatient services.

(b) Secure residential services for seriously emotionally disturbed children.

(c) Residential services for children with substance abuse problems.

(d) Partial care and day treatment services.

(e) Emergency services, including crisis shelter, crisis stabilization and emergency inpatient hospitalization.

4. Consider the special needs of rural and urban areas of the state and the special needs of cultural and ethnic groups requiring services.

C. The administration may modify the priorities identified in subsection B of this section based on the results of the administration's needs assessments and resource assessments and shall include the justification for modifications in its annual plan required pursuant to section 36-3432. No monies allocated for evaluation under subsection B, paragraph 2 of this section shall be used for design and implementation of a management information system.

D. Subject to legislative appropriation, the administration shall establish as a goal an annual increase of total children's service system capacity by ten percent annually.

(L15, Ch. 195, sec 78. Eff. 7/1/16)