Children's Mental Health
State mental health services for children under age 18 are administered through the Children's Mental Health Bureau of the Health Resources Division of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.
Medicaid Mental Health Services
Through the Medicaid program, the bureau manages the following psychiatric services for children who are seriously emotionally disturbed:
- Inpatient psychiatric services provided in hospital settings or residential treatment facilities;
- Community-based services, such as licensed foster and therapeutic group homes (not including room and board expenses);
- Mental health community-based outpatient services, including individual, group and family therapy; psychotropic medication monitoring; assessment; case management; youth day treatment; community-based psychiatric rehabilitation and support services; and comprehensive school and community treatment; and
- Services provided by mental health professionals, including licensed psychologists, social workers, licensed certified professional counselors, and licensed psychiatrists or medical doctors.
Non-Medicaid Mental Health Services
The bureau also manages non-Medicaid programs for seriously emotionally disturbed children under the Children's Mental Health Service Plan. This plan is limited to low-income youth who are within 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and who are not eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP). Enrollment is limited to 130 youth a year.
This service plan provides community-based outpatient psychiatric services and psychotropic drug assistance. To apply, a parent or legal guardian should fill out a CHIP application, indicating a need for mental health care, and submit it to the CHIP program.
