KHI News Service
WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 20
Kansas is one of 10 states that will receive grants to help move children institutionalized for mental illness into their homes and communities.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Wednesday that $218 million in grants will be disbursed over five years to help states develop programs that provide a comprehensive package of community-based services for children with mental illness.
“We believe these grants will result in a more caring, compassionate approach to meeting the needs of these children,” said Leslie Norwalk, CMS acting administrator. “Integrating them back into their homes and communities gives them the best opportunity to lead successful, productive lives as adults.
Programs approved for the grant funding include 24-hour support and crisis intervention in the community setting, training for families, respite care for families and after-school programs for children.
States receiving the grants estimate that by 2011, 11,000 children with serious mental illnesses will benefit from the new programs the grants will fund.