During the 2024 legislative session, several significant changes were made to the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) Program:

• An additional $3 million was appropriated for public schools.
• The current practice was amended to allow school districts to retain 65% of the grant award while passing 35% to the mental health partner.
• A $1.5 million appropriation and process were established for the participation of qualified nonpublic schools.

Administrative oversight of the MHIT program was transferred from the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) to the Kansas Department for Aging & Disability Services (KDADS). Angie Brungardt, formerly the MHIT Field Liaison Coordinator at KSDE, has been hired as the MHIT Program Manager at KDADS. KSDE is assisting in the program's transition between agencies.

For questions about the MHIT program, please email kdads.mhit@ks.gov.

Starting July 1, the state is opening provider-based behavioral health codes to providers outside the Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) network. This change will assist MHIT providers outside the CMCH system with billing, but it differs from Medicaid school-based services.

In June, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced that KanCare, the state Medicaid program, secured a $2.5 million grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This grant aims to integrate comprehensive health services within schools, ensuring better access to necessary care for students. This will be a multi-year effort.

The grant will facilitate key initiatives including:

• Enrollment assistance to help eligible students and families access Medicaid coverage.
• Provision of a broad array of Medicaid-covered health services directly within schools.
• Enhanced outreach and educational efforts to promote student health and wellness, reducing the need for emergency care and boosting educational outcomes.