Projects

Out-of-Home Placement Measure for the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model

2020 – 2023

Project Overview

Objective

To reduce out-of-home-placement (OOHP) for kids with behavioral health conditions, child welfare or juvenile justice involvement, or other complex chronic conditions, as these placements adversely affect the well-being of children and are a large driver of health care costs.

Project Motivation

Mathematica is supporting the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) by developing a measure of out-of-home-placement (OOHP) for use in the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) model. CMMI and the InCK awardees will use the measure for program monitoring and in the InCK impact evaluation.

Prepared For

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation

The InCK Model aims to improve the well-being of children in Medicaid and CHIP.

The InCK Model will help identify physical health, behavioral health, and social needs early; and contribute to the development of systems that coordinate care and integrate data across sectors to address those needs.

Eight InCK awardees in seven states will develop approaches to integrating service delivery across behavioral health, physical health, and other child services, including child welfare and juvenile justice. The InCK model’s primary goals are to reduce (1) avoidable inpatient and emergency department care, (2) Medicaid spending, and (3) avoidable OOHP. The InCK definition of OOHP includes placement in a psychiatric hospital, residential care center, skilled nursing facility, correctional facility, foster care (including group homes and therapeutic foster care), or juvenile detention. Mathematica will draw on administrative data from Medicaid (T-MSIS/TAF), child welfare, and juvenile justice to develop and test a measure of OOHP for InCK. CMMI will use the measure for program monitoring and in the InCK impact evaluation.

Related Staff

Anna Christensen

Anna Christensen

Director of Health Research, Strategy, and Analytics

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Jillian Stein

Jillian Stein

Senior Researcher

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Elizabeth  Weigensberg

Elizabeth Weigensberg

Principal Researcher

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