---
title: "State Medicaid & CHIP Toolkit for Children’s Behavioral Health Services and the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) Requirements"
description: "This toolkit provides a reminder to States that EPSDT requirements extend to behavioral health care. The toolkit is organized around four main sections, each containing actionable strategies and sub-strategies for state Medicaid and CHIP agencies: (1) developing and supporting a…"
url: "https://bridges4mentalhealth.org/hub/access-to-mental-health-services/medicaid/state-medicaid-chip-toolkit-for-childrens-behavioral-health-services-and-the-early-and-periodic-screening-diagnostic-and-treatment-epsdt-requirements/"
updated: "2026-11-12"
category: Access to Mental Health Services / Funding
tags:
  - Mental health professionals
  - TA sites
---

# State Medicaid & CHIP Toolkit for Children’s Behavioral Health Services and the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) Requirements

This toolkit provides a reminder to States that EPSDT requirements extend to behavioral health care. The toolkit is organized around four main sections, each containing actionable strategies and sub-strategies for state Medicaid and CHIP agencies: (1) developing and supporting a behavioral health care delivery system that can meet a range of children’s needs; (2) promoting early intervention for children’s behavioral health conditions; (3) improving children’s access to behavioral health care through service coordination and integration; and (4) increasing the workforce capacity for children’s behavioral health services. Throughout, CMS includes state examples to demonstrate implementation approaches — a welcome expansion on top of past guidance for states looking for state models to draw from.

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