CHDI Presents at 2026 Moving Beyond Implications Conference on Expanding Medicaid Coverage for Family and Youth Peer Support
CHDI's Aleece Kelly presented on the need to expand Medicaid reimbursement to family and youth peer support services at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford on January 15th. (Image courtesy CT-N)
On January 15, CHDI's Aleece Kelly, MPP, presented at the 3rd Annual Moving Beyond Implications: Research Into Policy Conference, hosted by the Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. CHDI was proud to sponsor this year's conference, which brought together more than 200 researchers and state policymakers in advance of the Connecticut legislative session to help bridge the gap between research and public policymaking. Researchers presented on a wide range of critical issues including health, education, the environment, housing, child welfare, and many others.
In a session dedicated to children's issues, Kelly shared research backing the effectiveness of family and youth peer support services in children's behavioral health, provided an overview of the current national and Connecticut landscape for these services, and discussed the need to change the state's Medicaid policy to allow reimbursement for this critical work.
Family and youth peer support work is anchored in shared lived experience, strategic sharing of personal story, and emotional support. It offers a unique approach and benefit when integrated within prevention services or as a component of behavioral health interventions. Research has demonstrated benefits to youth, families, and systems. But despite their promise, the state of Connecticut has yet to join the 33 other states that offer Medicaid reimbursement and coverage for family and youth peer support services.
To learn more, download our policy fact sheet:
You can also watch Kelly's full conference presentation in this video from CT-N:
CHDI will release a full report on the landscape of family and youth peer support services in Connecticut later this winter.
The 2026 Moving Beyond Implications Conference was hosted by the Connecticut chapter of the Scholars Strategy Network; State Representatives Jaime Foster, Dominique Johnson, Laurie Sweet, and Bill Pizzuto; State Senators Jeff Gordon, Saud Anwar, and Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox; Yale University's Dr. Kerri Raissian; and UConn's Institute for Collaboration on Health Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP); with additional sponsorship support from CHDI and the CT Academy of Science and Engineering.