Services are available only to children/adolescent under the age of 17 who are receiving Medicaid. In addition, for children to qualify for this program, they must be several criteria must be met to show diagnosis, disability and duration of illness.
1. Diagnosis: child/adolescent must currently have or, at any time during the last year, had a diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to meet the diagnostic criteria specified within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). We can assess for presence of a diagnosis.
2. Disability: child/adolescent must exhibit emotional, cognitive or behavioral functioning which is so impaired, as a result of mental illness, as to substantially interfere with role, educational, and social functioning as indicated by a score within levels four or five on the CALOCUS that can be verified by the MBHS. One of our licensed mental health professionals will score the child if accepted for an assessment.
3. Duration: child/adolescent must have a documented history of severe psychiatric disability that is expected to persist for at least a year and requires intensive mental health services.
Duration can be shown one of two ways (both not required):
1-documentation verifying that the child has been placed out of the home anytime in the past due to mental illness (for ex., placed in a psychiatric hospital, supported residential care for emotional/behavioral disorder and/or structured day program treatment center for emotional/behavioral disorder)
2- written verification from a professional such as a teacher, counselor, psychiatrist, pediatrician, etc documenting an impairment or pattern of inappropriate behaviors has persisted for at least three months and is expected to persist for at least six months.
1-documentation verifying that the child has been placed out of the home anytime in the past due to mental illness (for ex., placed in a psychiatric hospital, supported residential care for emotional/behavioral disorder and/or structured day program treatment center for emotional/behavioral disorder)
2- written verification from a professional such as a teacher, counselor, psychiatrist, pediatrician, etc documenting an impairment or pattern of inappropriate behaviors has persisted for at least three months and is expected to persist for at least six months.
Exclusions: Our services are not considered to be appropriate for recipients whose diagnosis is mental retardation, developmental disability or substance abuse unless they have a co-occurring diagnosis of severe mental illness or emotional /behavioral disorder.
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