HF1044 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))
Occupational therapy services, occupational therapists, and occupational therapy assistants added to mental health uniform service standards, mental health services, and children's mental health grants.
Related bill: SF1811
AI Generated Summary
The Minnesota H.F. No. 1044 is a legislative bill designed to enhance behavioral health services by including occupational therapy as a recognized part of mental health services, specifically for services targeted at children with emotional disturbances. Here is a summary of the major changes proposed by the bill:
Expansion of Eligible Services: The bill amends existing sections of Minnesota Statutes to explicitly include occupational therapy services, occupational therapists, and occupational therapy assistants as crucial elements in mental health service delivery.
Definition and Scope of Occupational Therapy: The bill defines occupational therapy services within the context of behavioral health treatment. It covers various aspects like evaluation, intervention, and consulting on neuromuscular, sensory integrative, motivational, cognitive, and psychosocial components of performance.
Licensure and Experience Requirements: It specifies licensure requirements for occupational therapists and assistants, stressing that they must have acquired specific supervised work experience in behavioral health settings to qualify.
Inclusion in Various Programs: Occupational therapy services are integrated into a number of mental health programs including:
- Children’s mental health services, ensuring services like crisis intervention and psychotherapy involve occupational therapy where necessary.
- Adult day treatment, psychiatric residential treatment facilities, assertive community treatment teams, and intensive non-residential rehabilitative mental health services.
Funding and Operation Implementation: The bill also addresses the operational aspects such as funding, service delivery configurations, and the integration of occupational therapy into both existing and new mental health programs.
Training and Standards Maintenance: It lays out guidelines for ongoing training and standards maintenance for providers, ensuring occupational therapy is delivered effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
What this bill essentially does is formally recognize occupational therapy as a vital component in the treatment and management of behavioral health issues, particularly focusing on its role in enhancing functional abilities and life skills in youths and others experiencing emotional disturbances. By amending multiple sections of the Minnesota Statutes, the bill seeks to institutionalize occupational therapy in various mental health treatment settings, underlining its importance in holistic mental health care.
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF file
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 16, 2025 | House | Floor | Action | Introduction and first reading, referred to | Human Services Finance and Policy |
| February 18, 2025 | House | Floor | Action | Authors added | |
| February 19, 2025 | House | Floor | Action | Authors added | |
| February 25, 2025 | House | Floor | Action | Author added |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Occupational therapy services for children with emotional disturbances are added as an eligible service for grants."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This bill modifies grant eligibility for services to children with emotional disturbances under section 245.4889, subdivision 1.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245.4889 subdivision 1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Expanded range of services eligible for grants."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Modification to grant services established under section 245.4889.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245.4889"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Definition provided for 'services to children with emotional disturbances or severe emotional disturbances' as outlined in section 245.4871 subdivision 15.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245.4871, subdivision 15"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Reference to the definition of 'children with emotional disturbances' according to section 245.4871 subdivision 15.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245.4871 subdivision 15"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Reference to the definition of 'mental illness' according to section 245.462, subdivision 20.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245.462 subdivision 20"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Reference to the description of the individual treatment plan per section 245I.10, subdivisions 7 and 8.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245I.10 subdivisions 7 and 8"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Reference to crisis stabilization services as described in section 256B.0624, subdivision 7.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256B.0624 subdivision 7"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Additional roles and responsibilities for assertive community treatment team staff."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Amendment to roles and staffing requirements for assertive community treatment teams under section 256B.0622, subdivision 7a.",
"modified": [
"Responsibilities and qualifications for assertive community treatment team staff."
]
},
"citation": "256B.0622 subdivision 7a"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Reference to training experience and other requirements for co-occurring disorder specialists as described in section 245G.11, subdivision 5.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245G.11 subdivision 5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Eligibility criteria for adult day treatment services defined under section 245.4712, subdivision 2.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245.4712 subdivision 2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Reference to Minnesota Rules parts 9505.0170 to 9505.0475 for requirements related to adult day treatment providers.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "9505.0170 to 9505.0475"
}
]