Children In Medicaid Wait Time For Initial Mental Health Appointment At 22 Days In Washington D.C.

Although the District of Columbia has been implementing reforms to the children’s public mental health system, and regulations now require that mental health appointments be provided within seven business days of a referral, during 2013 children enrolled in Medicaid waited an average of 22 days for an initial appointment. Although children discharged from an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization are to receive a follow-up appointment within a week following discharge, about one-third did not receive a timely follow-up appointment. More than 5,000 children in need of services are not receiving them.

In addition, the District’s treatment . . .