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Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances Waiver

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the Children's Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SEDW), which began in October 2005. The SEDW is currently available in a limited number of counties and Community Mental Health Services Programs (CMHSPs).

The Children's SEDW provides services that are enhancements or additions to Medicaid State Plan coverage for children up to age 20 with SED, who are enrolled in the SEDW prior to their 18th birthday. The MDCH operates the SEDW through contracts with the CMHSPs. The SEDW is a fee-for-service program administered by the CMHSP in partnership with other community agencies.  The MDCH has a partnership with the Michigan Department of Human Services (MDHS) to serve children in MDHS foster care in eight of the SEDW counties.

Key Provisions

The SEDW enables Medicaid to fund necessary home and community-based services for children with serious emotional disturbancd who meet the criteria for admission to the state inpatient psychiatric hospital (Hawthorn Center) and are at risk of hospitalization without waiver services. The CMHSP is responsible for assessment of potential waiver candidates.

Application for the SEDW is made through the CMHSP.  The Wraparound Facilitator, the child and his/her family and friends, and other professional members of the planning team work together to identify the child/family's strengths, needs, interventions and outcomes following the wraparound practice model.  The wraparound plan of service (POS) identifies all the services and supports necessary to meet the needs and outcomes.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this waiver, the child must:

  • Meet current MDCH contract criteria for, and be at risk of, hospitalization in a state psychiatric hospital (Hawthorn Center)  
  • Demonstrate serious functional limitations that impair his/her ability to function in the community.  As appropriate for age, functional limitation will be identified using the the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS®) or the Preschool and Early Childhood Functional Assessment Scale (PECFAS®):
    • CAFAS score of 90 or greater for children age 12 or younger; or
    • CAFAS score of 120 or greater for children age 13 to 18
  • Be under the age of 18 when approved for the SEDW
  • Be financially eligible for Medicaid when viewed as a family of one (i.e., when parental income and assets are waived)
  • Be in need of and receive at least one waiver service per month.

Coverage Area

With the Collaborative partnership between MDCH and MDHS, the SEDW was expanded to 18 counties and 12 CMHSPs.  The counties and CMHSPs current approved are:

  • CMH for Central Michigan (comprised of Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland and Osceola)
  • CMH Authority of Clinton-Eaton-Ingham Counties (Ingham only)
  • Detroit-Wayne County CMH Agency
  • Genesee County CMH Services
  • Kalamazoo CMH & Substance Abuse Services
  • Livingston County CMH Authority
  • Macomb County CMH Services
  • Network 180
  • Northern Lakes CMH Authority (Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties
  • Oakland County CMH Authority
  • Saginaw County CMH Authority
  • Van Buren CMH Authority

To request more information regarding eligibility for the SEDW, contact your local CMHSP or click on the link to the Children's SEDW Technical Assistance Manual:
2007 Children's SEDW Technical Assistance Manual.

Contact:  Beth Ann Meints, Serious Emotional Disturbance Waiver Specialist,      517-373-4620, e-mail:  meintsb@michigan.gov

Contact:  Audrey Craft, Director of Children's Home and Community-Based Waivers, 517-241-5757, e-mail:  crafta@michigan.gov

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Related Content
 •  Social Emotional Health and School Readiness  PDF icon
 •  Community Collaboratives
 •  Introduction
 •  A Family Guide to Respite for Children in Michigan PDF icon
 •  ParentsMedGuide.org
 •  Social-Emotional Development in Young Children PDF icon
 •  Local Mental Health Services
 •  Infant Mental Health
 •  Integrated Services for Children of Parents with Mental Illness
 •  Services to Children with Developmental Disabilities
 •  Insurance Advocacy
 •  Children's Waiver Program
 •  Federal Mental Health Block Grant Program
 •  Home-Based Services
 •  Wraparound Services
 •  Reducing Expulsion of Children from Child Care

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