2025 advocacy piece

14 Untold Stories Recommendation: The Story of One Critical Children’s Program Invest in Children’s Partial Hospital Programs I ncrease children’s partial hospital rates to $112. The services of children’s Partial Hospital Programs (PHPs), although licensed in New Jersey the same as partial care services, are quite different. PHPs are hospital-based and offer acute services focused on stabilization and prevention of hospitalization. They provide a higher level of intensity and frequency of clinical interventions. These programs offer highly intensive mental health diagnosis and treatment to children ranging in age from three to 18 whose conditions, if not addressed, would require 24-hour care. All patients have a diagnosable mental health disorder and exhibit psychiatric, emotional and/or behavioral problems, putting them at risk for out-of-home placement and/or hospitalization. The programs provide a step-down from inpatient units and accept direct referrals from crisis centers and residential facilities. Children attending PHPs require a highly structured treatment environment and an extraordinary high level of professional staff. All patients must receive a psychiatric evaluation by a Psychiatrist or Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) upon admission. A significant percentage of children in these programs are prescribed medication to treat their diagnosed condition. The children receive a complete, full nursing assessment and physicals. The Psychiatrists and APNs provide medication counseling and management to these children. All children are assigned a Master’s level therapist, usually clinically licensed, who completes a comprehensive psycho-social assessment, treatment planning and discharge coordination. In FY2024, children’s PHPs received their first increase since 2008, from $73 per hour to $77.16 per hour. If the Consumer Price Index from 2008 to 2022 were applied, this rate would have increased to $112.69, and even more since. The continuation of this level of care is imperative to provide the children who need it the acute, specialized services they deserve. The current inadequate reimbursement rate must be significantly increased to sustain and strengthen children’s PHPs.