May 18 Federal Update: HHS Takes Steps to Reduce Psychiatric Overprescribing 

The Secretary of Health and Human Services recently warned of the overuse of psychiatric medications, recommending a shift in the standard of care toward prevention, transparency, and a more holistic approach to mental health.

Through education, outreach, program and policy development, and research-to-practice initiatives, HHS agencies seek to evaluate prescribing patterns for psychiatric medications, assess their benefits and potential risks, and promote nonmedication treatments as well as scalable, evidence-based approaches to improving mental health.

HHS also issued a statement emphasizing the importance of including meaningful access to evidence-based, nonpharmacological interventions in treatment planning for mental health conditions. The letter states that, when clinically indicated, treatment should include a careful assessment of the patient’s symptoms, a medication review for efficacy, and, when appropriate, deprescribing.  

Social Current’s policy team is monitoring how these efforts may influence access to medications and mental health services, particularly for individuals who rely on medication as part of their treatment plan. As implementation evolves, the team will continue tracking potential impacts on access to care, provider decision-making, and the availability of comprehensive behavioral health supports.

ACF Updates on Licensing, Reporting, and Child Care Reform

National Models for Foster Family and Kinship Home Licensing Standards

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recently issued guidance updating the National Model for Foster Family Home Licensing Standards in an effort to reduce unnecessary administrative burden and clarify how the standards apply to non-kinship foster families as title IV-E agencies adopt kin-specific licensing approaches. ACF encourages Title IV-E agencies to streamline foster family home licensing, adopt kin-specific standards, and remove barriers that may delay safe placements for children.

ACF also updated Kin-Specific Foster Family Home Licensing Standards and issued recommendations for licensing agency practices to improve timeliness, responsiveness, and support for prospective foster families.

An additional clarifying letter states that the recommendations are not new requirements for Title IV-E agencies. Rather, they provide a framework to help states modernize and strengthen their licensing practices, improving flexibility, consistency, and the recruitment, approval, and retention of foster families.

Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System Dashboard Updated with 2025 Data

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released preliminary FY 2025 foster care and adoption data with functional updates to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Dashboard. The updates include new displays that allow users to see a child’s prior relationship in foster care before adoption or guardianship in addition to marital status of the adoptive or guardian parent.

The dashboard aims to strengthen the transparency and accessibility of child welfare data to better support state agencies, tribal governments, and advocates in using the information for decision-making. The enhancements provide the child welfare community greater insight into the pathways out of foster care for children who exit to adoption or guardianship.  

However, ACF urged caution in interpreting year-over-year comparisons as increases in counts from prior years are partly attributable to the expansion of the reporting population rather than changes in child welfare trends.

Guidance for Child Welfare Directors on the Next Annual Progress and Services Report

ACF recently released guidance limiting Annual Progress and Services Reports (APSR) to five pages or fewer, with a focus on clearly communicating key priorities, progress, and challenges. This guidance aims to reduce administrative burden, eliminate duplication, and improve the APSR’s usefulness as a practical tool for stakeholders.

The guidance arrives shortly after additional guidance for:

• State Agencies, Territories, and Insular Areas
• Indian Tribes, Indian Tribal Organizations and Indian Tribal Consortia

States and Tribes are encouraged to prioritize clarity, brevity, and impact in their submissions.

Child Care Reform Package Addresses Affordability, Accessibility, and Parental Choice

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recently announced a child care reform package to lower costs, expand access, and better serve families. The reforms include:

• Encouragement for states to transfer more TANF funds to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) to expand child care access  
• Clarification that faith-based providers and family, friend, and neighbor caregivers can play a larger role in federally supported child care
• Rescission of Restoring Flexibility in the Child Care and Development Fund, a rule that required some direct services to be provided through grants or contracts, providers to be paid prospectively and based on enrollment, and family co-payments to be capped at 7% of income
• Proposed removal of future wage and benefit requirements that were deemed to exceed the Head Start Act’s authority, comments will be accepted until June 11

The initiatives aim to cut red tape, restore state flexibility, protect taxpayer dollars, and open the door to more child care options tailored to the needs and preferences of American families.

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Issues Policy Recommendations to Address Gaps in Care

The recently reformulated Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) recommended four federal actions to address documented and correctable gaps in the medical care, safety, and policy recognition of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly those with the highest and most persistent support needs.  

Recommendations included:

• Clarifying and reinforcing EPSDT obligations and issuing HRSA clinical guidance for children with autism
• Adopting a federal research and policy designation for profound autism
• Implementing coordinated safety measures to address autism-related wandering and elopement
• Issuing an interagency implementation directive to enact the above recommendations

Certain committee members, however, expressed concern that they did not have sufficient time to seek feedback from their agencies.

Department of Education Issues Guidance for States in Utilizing IDEA Funds         

The Department of Education recently released guidance to help states leverage Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds for supporting expectant parents of infants with disabilities in accessing information and tools to prepare for their child’s arrival as well as to secure needed supports and services after birth. The guidance accompanies a $144 million investment to expand interventions that support students with disabilities. The funds will be awarded this year to state and local agencies with IDEA programs. 

Grant competitions were also announced for:

• The Ready to Learn Program and the Promise Neighborhoods Program: Evidence-based literacy, high-impact tutoring, and programs that leverage families and communities to meet students’ needs
• The Competitive Grants for State Assessments Program: Enhances the quality of assessment instruments and systems to promote student academic achievement
• The Career Pathways Exploration and Teacher Quality Partnership Programs: Integrates career exploration into statewide career pathways and workforce readiness programs
• The Comprehensive Centers Program: Helps State and Local Educational Agencies navigate federal education law and leverage evidence-based practices to improve student outcomes

Senate Discusses Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Across the Continuum of Care

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions recently held a field hearing in Louisiana to discuss the importance of mental health and the vitality of access to care that meets individuals’ unique needs.

Witnesses emphasized the need for sustainable access to integrated care, advocating for continuity in federal investments toward SAMHSA and Medicare, flexibility in service delivery, and secure pathways for under- and uninsured populations to access care.

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