PA 13-178 (Overview of Responsibilities) requires the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the Office of Early Childhood (OEC), in consultation and collaboration with various individuals and agencies, to take several steps to address Connecticut children’s mental, emotional, and behavioral health needs.

 

The new law requires training for school resource officers, mental health care providers, pediatricians, and child care providers.  It also requires the Birth-to-Three program to provide mental health services to children eligible for early intervention services under federal law. The new law also establishes a 14-member task force to study the effects of nutrition, genetics, complementary and alternative treatments, and psychotropic drugs on children’s mental, emotional, and behavioral health.