The Federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program is a preventive health care benefit designed to identify and offer appropriate treatment for health, mental health, and substance abuse problems. The benefit is available to Medicaid clients who are 20 years of age and under.

A Medicaid client can obtain mental health EPSDT services by making his or her own request for services or by requesting that a referral is made on his or her behalf through one of the following: a parent or guardian, school, physician, therapist, mental health or other agency.

The following is required for mental health EPSDT services:

1. A mental health assessment must be completed by a mental health professional at one of the contracted providers of the King County Mental Health Plan. (KCMHP) The mental health assessment helps to determine the type and intensity of services needed by the individual child.
2. The child's primary care doctor should also perform an EPSDT medical exam if an exam has not been administered within the previous year. The doctor’s exam may occur either before or after the referral for a mental health assessment. It is important that the doctor and the mental health provider coordinate care.

For further information regarding EPSDT, please contact the child’s primary care doctor or King County MHP Clinical Services at 206-263-9000 and ask to speak to someone on the mental health clinical team.

Also See

For more details about this benefit, see the Washington State Health and Rehabilitation Services Administration.