According to the U.S. Surgeon General about 20% of American children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness during a given year.  Additionally nearly 5 million American children and adolescents suffer from a serious mental illness , one that significantly interferes with their day-to-day life.  The term “serious emotional disturbance” is typically used when referring to children who are experiencing some type of or symptoms of mental illness.

A serious emotional disturbance means a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that severely disrupts a child or adolescents ability to function socially, academically, and emotionally, at home, in school, or in the community, and has been apparent for more than a six month period.

There are several areas that must be evaluated to determine if a child is eligible to receive public mental health services through Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority.

Among these are:

Residence: Does the child live in Oakland County?

Insurance: Does the child have commercial or private insurance, Medicaid, MIChild, or no insurance?

Diagnosis: Does the child have a severe emotional disturbance? Is their illness causing significant problems in their major life activities, including:

• Self-care at an appropriate developmental level
• Self-direction, including behavioral control
• Capacity for living with family or family equivalent
• Social functioning
• Learning
• Perceptive and expressive language