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256B.0946 TREATMENT FOSTER CARE.

Subdivision 1.Covered service.

(a) Effective July 1, 2006, and subject to federal approval, medical assistance covers medically necessary services described under paragraph (b) that are provided by a provider entity eligible under subdivision 3 to a client eligible under subdivision 2 who is placed in a treatment foster home licensed under Minnesota Rules, parts 2960.3000 to 2960.3340.

(b) Services to children with severe emotional disturbance residing in treatment foster care settings must meet the relevant standards for mental health services under sections 245.487 to 245.4889. In addition, specific service components reimbursed by medical assistance must meet the following standards:

(1) case management service component must meet the standards in Minnesota Rules, parts 9520.0900 to 9520.0926 and 9505.0322, excluding subparts 6 and 10;

(2) psychotherapy, crisis assistance, and skills training components must meet the standards for children's therapeutic services and supports in section 256B.0943; and

(3) family psychoeducation services under supervision of a mental health professional.

Subd. 2.Determination of client eligibility.

A client's eligibility to receive treatment foster care under this section shall be determined by a diagnostic assessment, an evaluation of level of care needed, and development of an individual treatment plan, as defined in paragraphs (a) to (c).

(a) The diagnostic assessment must:

(1) be conducted by a psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, or licensed independent clinical social worker that is performed within 180 days prior to the start of service;

(2) include current diagnoses on all five axes of the client's current mental health status;

(3) determine whether or not a child meets the criteria for severe emotional disturbance in section 245.4871, subdivision 6, or for serious and persistent mental illness in section 245.462, subdivision 20; and

(4) be completed annually until age 18. For individuals between age 18 and 21, unless a client's mental health condition has changed markedly since the client's most recent diagnostic assessment, annual updating is necessary. For the purpose of this section, "updating" means a written summary, including current diagnoses on all five axes, by a mental health professional of the client's current mental status and service needs.

(b) The evaluation of level of care must be conducted by the placing county with an instrument approved by the commissioner of human services. The commissioner shall update the list of approved level of care instruments annually.

(c) The individual treatment plan must be:

(1) based on the information in the client's diagnostic assessment;

(2) developed through a child-centered, family driven planning process that identifies service needs and individualized, planned, and culturally appropriate interventions that contain specific measurable treatment goals and objectives for the client and treatment strategies for the client's family and foster family;

(3) reviewed at least once every 90 days and revised; and

(4) signed by the client or, if appropriate, by the client's parent or other person authorized by statute to consent to mental health services for the client.

Subd. 3.Eligible providers.

For purposes of this section, a provider agency must have an individual placement agreement for each recipient and must be a licensed child placing agency, under Minnesota Rules, parts 9543.0010 to 9543.0150, and either:

(1) a county;

(2) an Indian Health Services facility operated by a tribe or tribal organization under funding authorized by United States Code, title 25, sections 450f to 450n, or title 3 of the Indian Self-Determination Act, Public Law 93-638, section 638 (facilities or providers); or

(3) a noncounty entity under contract with a county board.

Subd. 4.Eligible provider responsibilities.

(a) To be an eligible provider under this section, a provider must develop written policies and procedures for treatment foster care services consistent with subdivision 1, paragraph (b), clauses (1), (2), and (3).

(b) In delivering services under this section, a treatment foster care provider must ensure that staff caseload size reasonably enables the provider to play an active role in service planning, monitoring, delivering, and reviewing for discharge planning to meet the needs of the client, the client's foster family, and the birth family, as specified in each client's individual treatment plan.

Subd. 5.Service authorization.

The commissioner will administer authorizations for services under this section in compliance with section 256B.0625, subdivision 25.

Subd. 6.Excluded services.

(a) Services in clauses (1) to (4) are not eligible as components of treatment foster care services:

(1) treatment foster care services provided in violation of medical assistance policy in Minnesota Rules, part 9505.0220;

(2) service components of children's therapeutic services and supports simultaneously provided by more than one treatment foster care provider;

(3) home and community-based waiver services; and

(4) treatment foster care services provided to a child without a level of care determination according to section 245.4885, subdivision 1.

(b) Children receiving treatment foster care services are not eligible for medical assistance reimbursement for the following services while receiving treatment foster care:

(1) mental health case management services under section 256B.0625, subdivision 20; and

(2) psychotherapy and skill training components of children's therapeutic services and supports under section 256B.0625, subdivision 35b.

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