SF 2506

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 06/06/2025 12:13 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to human services; the Department of Human Services behavioral health
policy provisions; updating the Children's Mental Health Act; codifying the
intermediate school-linked behavioral health grant program; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2024, sections 245.4871, subdivision 4, by adding a subdivision; 245.4881,
subdivision 3; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 245.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 245.4871, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Case management service provider.

(a) "Case management service provider"
means a case manager or case manager associate employed by the county or other entity
authorized by the county board to provide case management services specified in subdivision
3 for the child with severe emotional disturbance and the child's family.

(b) A case manager must:

(1) have experience and training in working with children;

(2) new text begin be a mental health practitioner under section 245I.04, subdivision 4, or new text end have at least
a bachelor's degree in one of the behavioral sciences or a related field including, but not
limited to, social work, psychology, or nursing from an accredited college or university or
meet the requirements of paragraph (d);

(3) have experience and training in identifying and assessing a wide range of children's
needs;

(4) be knowledgeable about local community resources and how to use those resources
for the benefit of children and their families; and

(5) meet the supervision and continuing education requirements of paragraphs (e), (f),
and (g), as applicable.

(c) A case manager may be a member of any professional discipline that is part of the
local system of care for children established by the county board.

(d) A case manager deleted text begin without deleted text end new text begin who is not a mental health practitioner and does not have
new text end a bachelor's degree must meet one of the requirements in clauses (1) to (3):

(1) have three or four years of experience as a case manager associate;

(2) be a registered nurse without a bachelor's degree who has a combination of specialized
training in psychiatry and work experience consisting of community interaction and
involvement or community discharge planning in a mental health setting totaling three years;
or

(3) be a person who qualified as a case manager under the 1998 Department of Human
Services waiver provision and meets the continuing education, supervision, and mentoring
requirements in this section.

(e) A case manager with at least 2,000 hours of supervised experience in the delivery
of mental health services to children must receive regular ongoing supervision and clinical
supervision totaling 38 hours per year, of which at least one hour per month must be clinical
supervision regarding individual service delivery with a case management supervisor. The
other 26 hours of supervision may be provided by a case manager with two years of
experience. Group supervision may not constitute more than one-half of the required
supervision hours.

(f) A case manager without 2,000 hours of supervised experience in the delivery of
mental health services to children with emotional disturbance must:

(1) begin 40 hours of training approved by the commissioner of human services in case
management skills and in the characteristics and needs of children with severe emotional
disturbance before beginning to provide case management services; and

(2) receive clinical supervision regarding individual service delivery from a mental
health professional at least one hour each week until the requirement of 2,000 hours of
experience is met.

(g) A case manager who is not licensed, registered, or certified by a health-related
licensing board must receive 30 hours of continuing education and training in severe
emotional disturbance and mental health services every two years.

(h) Clinical supervision must be documented in the child's record. When the case manager
is not a mental health professional, the county board must provide or contract for needed
clinical supervision.

(i) The county board must ensure that the case manager has the freedom to access and
coordinate the services within the local system of care that are needed by the child.

(j) A case manager associate (CMA) must:

(1) work under the direction of a case manager or case management supervisor;

(2) be at least 21 years of age;

(3) have at least a high school diploma or its equivalent; and

(4) meet one of the following criteria:

(i) have an associate of arts degree in one of the behavioral sciences or human services;

(ii) be a registered nurse without a bachelor's degree;

(iii) have three years of life experience as a primary caregiver to a child with serious
emotional disturbance as defined in subdivision 6 within the previous ten years;

(iv) have 6,000 hours work experience as a nondegreed state hospital technician; or

(v) have 6,000 hours of supervised work experience in the delivery of mental health
services to children with emotional disturbances; hours worked as a mental health behavioral
aide I or II under section 256B.0943, subdivision 7, may count toward the 6,000 hours of
supervised work experience.

Individuals meeting one of the criteria in items (i) to (iv) may qualify as a case manager
after four years of supervised work experience as a case manager associate. Individuals
meeting the criteria in item (v) may qualify as a case manager after three years of supervised
experience as a case manager associate.

(k) Case manager associates must meet the following supervision, mentoring, and
continuing education requirements;

(1) have 40 hours of preservice training described under paragraph (f), clause (1);

(2) receive at least 40 hours of continuing education in severe emotional disturbance
and mental health service annually; and

(3) receive at least five hours of mentoring per week from a case management mentor.
A "case management mentor" means a qualified, practicing case manager or case management
supervisor who teaches or advises and provides intensive training and clinical supervision
to one or more case manager associates. Mentoring may occur while providing direct services
to consumers in the office or in the field and may be provided to individuals or groups of
case manager associates. At least two mentoring hours per week must be individual and
face-to-face.

(l) A case management supervisor must meet the criteria for a mental health professional
as specified in subdivision 27.

(m) An immigrant who does not have the qualifications specified in this subdivision
may provide case management services to child immigrants with severe emotional
disturbance of the same ethnic group as the immigrant if the person:

(1) is currently enrolled in and is actively pursuing credits toward the completion of a
bachelor's degree in one of the behavioral sciences or related fields at an accredited college
or university;

(2) completes 40 hours of training as specified in this subdivision; and

(3) receives clinical supervision at least once a week until the requirements of obtaining
a bachelor's degree and 2,000 hours of supervised experience are met.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 245.4871, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 7a. new text end

new text begin Clinical supervision. new text end

new text begin "Clinical supervision" means the oversight responsibility
for individual treatment plans and individual mental health service delivery, including
oversight provided by the case manager. Clinical supervision must be provided by a mental
health professional. The supervising mental health professional must cosign an individual
treatment plan, and their name must be documented in the client's record.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 245.4881, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Duties of case manager.

(a) Upon a determination of eligibility for case
management services, the case manager shall develop an individual family community
support plan for a child as specified in subdivision 4, review the child's progress, deleted text begin and deleted text end monitor
the provision of services new text begin , and if the child and parent or legal guardian consent, complete a
written functional assessment as defined by section 245.4871, subdivision 18a new text end . If services
are to be provided in a host county that is not the county of financial responsibility, the case
manager shall consult with the host county and obtain a letter demonstrating the concurrence
of the host county regarding the provision of services.

(b) The case manager shall note in the child's record the services needed by the child
and the child's family, the services requested by the family, services that are not available,
and the unmet needs of the child and child's family. The case manager shall note this
provision in the child's record.

Sec. 4.

new text begin [245.4904] INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
GRANT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of human services must establish a
grant program to improve behavioral health outcomes for youth attending a qualifying
school unit and to build the capacity of schools to support student and teacher needs in the
classroom. For the purposes of this section, "qualifying school unit" means an intermediate
school district organized under section 136D.01.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligible applicants. new text end

new text begin An eligible applicant is an intermediate school district
organized under section 136D.01, and a partner entity or provider that has demonstrated
capacity to serve the youth identified in subdivision 1 that is:
new text end

new text begin (1) a mental health clinic certified under section 245I.20;
new text end

new text begin (2) a community mental health center under section 256B.0625, subdivision 5;
new text end

new text begin (3) an Indian health service facility or a facility owned and operated by a Tribe or Tribal
organization operating under United States Code, title 25, section 5321;
new text end

new text begin (4) a provider of children's therapeutic services and supports as defined in section
256B.0943;
new text end

new text begin (5) enrolled in medical assistance as a mental health or substance use disorder provider
agency and employs at least two full-time equivalent mental health professionals qualified
according to section 245I.04, subdivision 2, or two alcohol and drug counselors licensed or
exempt from licensure under chapter 148F who are qualified to provide clinical services to
children and families;
new text end

new text begin (6) licensed under chapter 245G and in compliance with the applicable requirements in
chapters 245A, 245C, and 260E; section 626.557; and Minnesota Rules, chapter 9544; or
new text end

new text begin (7) a licensed professional in private practice as defined in section 245G.01, subdivision
17, who meets the requirements of section 254B.05, subdivision 1, paragraph (b).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Allowable grant activities and related expenses. new text end

new text begin (a) Allowable grant activities
and related expenses include but are not limited to:
new text end

new text begin (1) identifying mental health conditions and substance use disorders of students;
new text end

new text begin (2) delivering mental health and substance use disorder treatment and supportive services
to students and their families within the classroom, including via telehealth consistent with
section 256B.0625, subdivision 3b;
new text end

new text begin (3) delivering therapeutic interventions and customizing an array of supplementary
learning experiences for students;
new text end

new text begin (4) supporting families in meeting their child's needs, including navigating health care,
social service, and juvenile justice systems;
new text end

new text begin (5) providing transportation for students receiving behavioral health services when school
is not in session;
new text end

new text begin (6) building the capacity of schools to meet the needs of students with mental health and
substance use disorder concerns, including school staff development activities for licensed
and nonlicensed staff; and
new text end

new text begin (7) purchasing equipment, connection charges, on-site coordination, set-up fees, and
site fees in order to deliver school-linked behavioral health services via telehealth.
new text end

new text begin (b) Grantees must obtain all available third-party reimbursement sources as a condition
of receiving grant funds. For purposes of this grant program, a third-party reimbursement
source does not include a public school as defined in section 120A.20, subdivision 1. Grantees
shall serve students regardless of health coverage status or ability to pay.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Calculating the share of the appropriation. new text end

new text begin (a) Grants must be awarded to
qualifying school units proportionately.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner must calculate the share of the appropriation to be used in each
qualifying school unit by multiplying the total appropriation going to the grantees by the
qualifying school unit's average daily membership in a setting of federal instructional level
4 or higher and then dividing by the total average daily membership in a setting of federal
instructional level 4 or higher for the same year for all qualifying school units.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Data collection and outcome measurement. new text end

new text begin Grantees must provide data to
the commissioner for the purpose of evaluating the Intermediate School District Behavioral
Health Innovation grant program. The commissioner must consult with grantees to develop
outcome measures for program capacity and performance.
new text end