July 1, 2009

North Carolina LME Role in the Closure of Children's Level III & Level IV Group Home Facilities Statewide

The State Legislature currently has a provision in Senate Bill 202 calling for the elimination of Residential Level III and Level IV services for both Medicaid and state funded children and adolescents. The document notes that although these closures were precipitated by the current economic crisis, they are in line with best practice guidelines and demonstrate the state moving forward to implement best practices with this population. However, the closure of these group homes across the state has the potential to create placement crises for mentally ill children if discharge planning is not conducted in a systematic, coordinated manner.