Joshua Hall

Thanks to advocates like Andrew Woods and Hartford Communities That Care, I co-sponsored and championed, along with Speaker Matt Ritter, Rep. Jillian Gilchrest and Sen. Doug McCrory House Bill 5677. Now Public Act 21-36, this bill is the first in the nation to allow Medicaid reimbursement for violence prevention services. It also recognizes the critical work of violence prevention professionals.

It recognizes the work of violence prevention professionals as a covered service under the Medicaid program. The work of these professionals is critical to the health and well-being of victims. They help to de-escalate potential crises, prevent or mitigate trauma, and essentially protect the people receiving their services.

 

 

By licensing these health care professionals through the Department of Public Health, the state will be in a position to leverage federal Medicaid funds to cover services related to violence prevention.

The value of preventing future acts of violence is good for our communities by reducing the burden on the criminal justice and health care systems while improving the quality of life in our communities.

Watch the bill signing ceremony in its entirety on CT-N.