System of Care Law

The Law

In 2016, New Hampshire passed Senate Bill 534, a major policy initiative of the Children's Behavioral Health Collaborative, which imbedded the system of care approach and accompanying values in RSA 135-F. The law requires the State to develop and maintain an integrated and comprehensive service delivery system for children with behavioral health needs. A System of Care is a behavioral health care approach that relies on a coordinated network of effective community-based services and supports with a broad array of individualized services which help children and youth to function better at home, in school, in the community, and throughout life. 

Click here to read RSA 135-F.

The System of Care Law outlines steps towards building a comprehensive and integrated system of care for children in NH and is a cornerstone to advancing the work of the Collaborative and our State partners at the Department of Education (DOE)and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). 

Progress 

Senate Bill 14, signed into law on June 3, 2019, expands and builds on RSA 135-F and years of work to build New Hampshire's System of Care for children's behavioral health. A major policy initiative of the New Hampshire Children's Behavioral Health Collaborative, Senate Bill 14 transforms New Hampshire's child and family-serving system using the System of Care Framework as recommended in the July 2018 New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth, and Families Adequacy and Enhancement Assessment.

Click here to read a summary of Senate Bill 14

The Law also requires the DOE and DHHS to produce yearly reports on the State's progress in developing a System of Care. Thus far, three reports have been produced:

Year One Report


Year Two Report


Year Three Report

Year Two Report Released, January 2018: 
Report: Incremental progress on kids' mental health system

Year One Report Released, January 2017:
Year One Report, a System of Care Approach

Passage of Bill, May 2016: 
Key Collaborative Bill Passes Final Legislative Hurdle

Introduction of Bill, January 2016: 
Legislation Focuses Attention on Children's Mental Health