New York State’s Mental Health Services For Children To Undergo Makeover Following Lawsuit Settlement

New York has agreed to substantially overhaul its mental health services for children and youth following a proposed settlement in the class action lawsuit C.K. v. McDonald, filed in 2022.

The settlement addresses longstanding concerns about how the state provides intensive home- and community-based mental health services to Medicaid-eligible children younger than 21 with mental or behavioral health conditions. The lawsuit alleged the state failed to provide required services in violation of federal Medicaid laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The lawsuit does not seek monetary damages for class members . . .