Rhode Island Medicaid & Child Welfare Sued For Denying Children Mental Health Services

On November 12, 2024, advocates for children sued the state of Rhode Island for denying children in the child welfare system legally required and medically necessary mental health care. The plaintiffs include a number of Medicaid-eligible children and youth under the age of 21 years who are diagnosed with serious emotional disturbance (SED), including SED and co-occurring developmental disabilities (DD) and are involved in the State's child welfare system. They allege that the state’s failure to build a behavioral health system that meets the needs of children and youth violates federal laws, including the Medicaid Act . . .