This amendment provides $7.6 million from the general fund each year and a like amount of federal Medicaid matching funds to increase reimbursement to residential psychiatric facilities. The rates paid to these facilities, not unlike other institutional providers (hospitals, nursing facilities, etc.), have not increased since 2008 and have not been adjusted for inflation. These facilities serve only children in a clinically and medically-necessary active treatment program designed to provide necessary support and address mental health, behavioral, substance abuse, cognitive and training needs in order to prevent or minimize the need for more intensive outpatient treatment, per federal regulations. This amendment also strikes language that prohibits annual inflation adjustments.