At the November 21, 2025, meeting of Advocates for Justice and Education’s Community Health Advisory Panel (CHAP), parents, caregivers, healthcare providers, advocates, and community partners came together to grapple with urgent changes shaping the systems of care for children and youth with disabilities and special health care needs in Washington, DC.
The conversation was grounded in lived experience and focused on two developments with far-reaching implications for families: proposed changes to DC’s School-Based Behavioral Health system and significant eligibility and coverage changes to DC Medicaid and the DC Health Care Alliance.
In response to these discussions, AJE developed two advocacy briefs to help families, providers, and allies better understand what is changing, why it matters, and how to take action. The CHAP Advocacy Brief on Medicaid and Alliance Eligibility Changes outlines new income limits, service reductions, and transition challenges beginning in October 2025, with particular attention to the impact on Black, Latine, immigrant families, and those raising children with disabilities.
The CHAP Advocacy Brief on proposed School-Based Behavioral Health Changes examines DBH’s plan to restructure the program, highlighting risks to community-based partnerships, workforce stability, prevention efforts, and family-centered care
Together, these briefs reflect CHAP’s shared commitment to transparency, accountability, and disability justice. We invite community members, advocates, and policymakers to download and use these tools to support informed advocacy and to stand with families as they navigate and seek to improve DC’s systems of care.
Download the CHAP Policy Briefs:
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