Children's Mental Health Services

Also referred to as the Partnerships Program for Children's Mental Health

Purpose:

The Children's Mental Health System of Care in North Dakota provides therapeutic and supportive services to children with serious emotional disturbance (SED) and their families so they can manage their illness and live in the community in the least restrictive setting.

• "Partnerships" involves parents working together with service agencies and their natural supports.
• The goal is to plan and provide for the care and support for children with complex needs.
• The planning includes services across system lines and involves all providers of services. The plan is made around family choices and preferences and is focused on goals. All partners put their resources "on the table" for consideration during the planning process.

North Dakota Uses the Wraparound Process

• Wraparound is a process based upon individualized, strength-based, needs-driven planning and service delivery.
• It builds more effective supports for children and their families.
• Wraparound changes as the needs of families change. It has core elements, and it is not a program or service.
• Wraparound is not something you 'get'; it's something you 'do'.
• It uses a child and family team, which is essential for successful wraparound teams.

Child and Family Teams

• Include informal and natural support people present in one's life, as well as formal caregivers.
• May include friends, partners, co-workers, or family members as equal partners at the table.
• Are uniquely crafted, and the child and family select members of the team.
• Are helpful to get a number of people working together. As a group, teams may generate better ideas. The team process let's children and their families know they are not alone.

Accessing Partnerships Services

The Partnerships Program for Children's Mental Health has eligibility criteria.

• The youth must be 18 years of age or younger.
• The youth must have a mental health diagnosis.
• The youth must have service needs involving two or more community agencies such as mental health, substance abuse, health, special education, juvenile justice, or child welfare.
• The child / youth must have symptoms that are expected to last or have lasted one year or longer.
• The child/youth is not doing well in school, home, or the community and the difficulties strongly interfere in the life of the child.

Note: These are general guidelines. Please contact the regional contact person in your area for further information.

(Insert partnerships statewide outcome) - Publication to come

Other Services

Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF)

• Are facilities that provide children and adolescents with a comprehensive 24-hour therapeutic environment integrating group living, educational services, and a clinical program based upon an interdisciplinary clinical assessment and an individualized treatment plan that meets the needs of the child and family
• Are available to children in need of and able to respond to active psychotherapeutic intervention and who cannot be effectively treated in their own family, in another home, or in a less restrictive setting
• North Dakota has six Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities
• Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities are licensed by the N.D. Department of Human Services, and all carry accreditation by national accreditation bodies. For information on licensing, contact Carla Kessel at (701) 328-2335 or Joan Ehrhardt at (701) 328-4864
• To initiate a referral to a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities, please complete the universal application form (295kb pdf), and the multi agency release of information form (required).

Voluntary Treatment Program

• Is administered by the N.D. Department of Human Services through collaboration between the Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Abuse Services and the Children and Family Services Division
• Is an option for parents to access out-of-home treatment for their children without relinquishing legal custody when the child's circumstances fall within the intent of this program. The child must be covered by Medicaid program and the application be approved by the Division
• To apply for this program, parents or legal guardians should complete the Voluntary Treatment Program Application form (SFN 507), and the Multi-Agency Authorization for Release of Information (SFN 970)

• If approved, this program will pay for the non-Medicaid portion of the treatment facilities rate for the approved timeframe
• For more information please contact Carla Kessel at (701) 328-2335

 

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