26B-5-613. Mental health access study.

230 words·~1 min read·/ut/title-26b/chapter-5/26b-5-613·

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Effective 5/7/2025

(1)The department shall issue a request for proposals for a person to conduct a comprehensive study of wait times and barriers to accessing pediatric mental health care in Utah, which shall:

(a)measure and analyze the average time between a child's initial referral to a mental health appointment and the date of the first available appointment;

(b)identify factors affecting wait times, including:

(i)geographic location;

(ii)insurance type;

(iii)provider availability;

(iv)specialty care needs; and

(v)other relevant barriers to access;

(c)compare wait times across different:

(i)geographic regions of the state;

(ii)types of mental health providers;

(iii)practice settings; and

(iv)payment models;

(d)include both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods; and

(e)survey parents regarding experiences accessing care.

(2)The person selected for the study shall:

(a)develop appropriate methods to collect data while protecting patient privacy;

(b)comply with all applicable state and federal privacy laws; and

(c)ensure all data is deidentified before inclusion in any reports.

(3)The person selected for the study shall submit to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee and the Behavioral Health Commission created Section 26B-5-702 :

(a)a preliminary report of findings before May 31, 2026; and

(b)a final report, including policy recommendations, before May 31, 2027.

Enacted by Chapter 398 , 2025 General Session