BOSTON -- Lawmakers who say the state hasn't done enough to address the needs of children with mental illnesses hold a hearing at the Statehouse today.
Lawmakers and advocates are pushing legislation that would help remove some of the barriers to treatment for children with mental health problems.
The legislation hopes to build on the state's mental health parity law, approved in 2000, which was designed to make sure that mental health issues are treated on the same level as physical health problems.
The bill would also create a new children's behavioral health council to look for gaps in services across all state agencies for children and adolescents suffering from mental illnesses.
Another goal is to make sure children with mental illnesses can find residential treatment so they don't get stuck in psychiatric hospitals.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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