CHA has reviewed all state governors' proposed budgets for fiscal year (FY) 2024 and compiled their pediatric behavioral health funding priorities into a behavioral health initiative tracker. The tracker builds off of CHA's FY 2023 behavioral health tracker, which outlines state-funded pediatric behavioral health initiatives for FY 2023.
The proposed governors' budgets do not have the force of law but highlight governors' priorities for the upcoming year. Our review indicates that investments in youth and children's behavioral health programs are an ongoing and growing gubernatorial priority.
See below for an overview of pediatric-focused gubernatorial initiatives. Key themes include a focus on school-based behavioral health services, addressing shortages in the behavioral health workforce, and investments in Medicaid support for behavioral health services.
The CHA FY 2024 state budget tracker will be updated after most state legislatures have completed their sessions.
Expanding school-based behavioral health services
Twenty-nine proposed budgets include funding for school-based behavioral health initiatives.
- Seven budgets include increases to the number of behavioral health providers in schools.
- Twenty budgets propose funding to expand access to behavioral health services in schools.
Addressing shortages in the behavioral health workforce
Twenty-two proposed budgets include investments in the behavioral health workforce.
- Eight budgets target funding towards behavioral health provider loan repayment programs.
- Fifteen budgets aim to fund recruitment and retention initiatives.
None of these programs target pediatric providers specifically but include pediatric providers.
Investing in Medicaid
Nineteen proposed budgets include measures to enhance Medicaid support for children's behavioral health services.
- Five budgets include investments that would expand access to behavioral health services for children covered by Medicaid.
- Eleven budgets include increases for Medicaid reimbursement rates for behavioral health providers.
