Acute
Having a sudden onset and lasting a short time but demanding urgent attention.
Affect
The visible expression of emotion, especially facial expression. “Flat affect” describes a plain, emotionless facial expression and body language.
Appeal Process
Steps for having a decision about services reviewed and changed. Usually this involves proving the decision was wrong and will harm the child and family. Typically, information about the appeal process is provided when requesting or obtaining services.
Assessment
A professional evaluation of the child’s condition and needs. This usually includes a physical exam, mental health and intelligence testing, school performance, and a review of the child’s family situation and behavior in the community.
Case Manager
An individual who organizes and coordinates services for an individual.
Clinician
An individual providing mental health services, such as a psychologist, social worker, or other therapist, as distinguished from a researcher or investigator.
Confidentiality
The limiting of access to a child’s records to his/her parents and personnel having direct involvement with the child.
Consent
Informed consent requires that the person giving the permission understand the risks, benefits, and possible ramifications.
Crisis Residential Treatment Services
Short-term, round-the-clock treatment provided in an unlocked, non-hospital setting during a crisis. The purpose of this treatment is to avoid hospitalization, stabilize the child, and determine the next steps.
Crisis Team (Emergency Services)
Services available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week during a mental health crisis. The crisis team will determine the severity of the crisis and determine the next steps. A Designated Crisis Team serves every community. Also known as Emergency and Crisis Services, Emergency Services Programs, Crisis Evaluation Teams, Emergency Screening Teams.
Day Treatment
Nonresidential, intensive program of mental health services that allows the youth to return home at night.
DSM-IV
An official manual describing mental health disorders.
Early Intervention
Recognizing warning signs that a youth is at risk for mental health problems and taking early action to address the problems. Early intervention can help youth get better more quickly and prevent problems from becoming worse.
Eligibility Criteria
Guidelines for determining whether or not a child is eligible to receive services from an agency. Usually includes age, disability, and income. The criteria can also cover where the family resides, gender of the child, and availability of medical insurance.
Evaluation
A process that begins with a professional assessment and results in an opinion about a child’s mental and emotional state. May include recommendations about treatment or placement.
Family Focused
A treatment approach that views the child as a member of a family and recognizes that everyone in a family can be affected by how the others act, what they say, how they feel, or how they are functioning. Decisions about services are made considering the family as a whole as well as the child with a mental health problem.
Family Involvement
Family Involvement is a collective effort requiring representation of all cultural, ethnic, and racial groups in the community in sufficient numbers so each has a real voice yet no one voice dominates the decision-making. The family voice and the decision-making must be as strong as that of other partners. Family experiences and perspectives collectively drive policy, service planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Home Based Services
Short-term services provided in the home to help a family deal with a youth’s mental health problems.
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
A written special education plan that describes a student’s individual needs and the special education services that will be provided.
Initial Referral or Intake
A process used by an agency to determine whether a child and family are eligible to receive services.
Inpatient Hospitalization
Around-the-clock mental health treatment in a hospital setting. The purpose of inpatient hospitalization is to stabilize and treat a youth in crisis, and to prevent harm to the youth and to others.
Mental Health
Mental health includes a person’s feelings, thoughts, and actions when faced with life’s situations. It also includes how people handle stress, relate to others, make decisions, and see themselves.
Mental Illness
A biological brain disorder that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, moods, and ability to relate to others.
Outpatient
Office-based treatment provided in the community. This can include diagnosis, assessment, and family and individual counseling.
Parent Advocate
An individual who has been trained to help families get the services and supports they need. Typically, parent advocates are family members who have raised a child with a behavioral or emotional problem and have worked with many of the agencies and providers in the community.
Psychological Evaluation
An evaluation that tests a child’s intelligence, aptitudes and abilities, social skills, emotional development, and thinking skills.
Psychiatrist
A medical doctor specializing in emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders. Qualified to prescribe medication and admit to hospitals.
Psychologist
A mental health professional with advanced training who can administer psychological tests and evaluate and treat emotional disorders. A psychologist is not a medical doctor and cannot prescribe medications.
Psychopharmacologist
A psychiatrist who specializes in treating mental health disorders with medications.
Psychosis
A disorder characterized by social withdrawal, distortions of reality, and loss of contact with the environment.
Release Form
A consent form signed by a parent, guardian, or the court, allowing treatment, testing, or release of information.
Residential Services
Treatment in a setting that provides educational instruction and 24-hour care for youth who require continuous supervision and care.
Respite Care
This is a temporary service whereby someone else takes care of the child for a few hours or a few days so the family can have a short break. Respite care can be provided in the child’s home, at the respite care provider’s home, at a special respite care facility, or at other community locations.
Screening
A preliminary assessment.
Service Coordinator or Case Manager
The individual who keeps track of the services and supports a child is receiving and makes sure they are working together in a manner that is easy for the child and family to use.
Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED)
These are the signs to look for in a child:
• Has a hard time making and keeping friends
• Is angry for no reason
• Often seems sad or hopeless with no reason
• Seems to feel worthless or guilty for no reason
• Seems to have more fears than others
• Has lost interest in things they used to enjoy
• Avoids friends or family and wants to be alone all the time
• Often hurts others, destroys things, or breaks the law
Any child can have these signs for a short time, but over a longer time such signs can indicate a mental health concern like SED. Impact can help determine if your child has a Serious Emotional Disturbance.
Service Plan
A written document that lists and describes all the services and supports your child and family will receive. Typically, service plans include information about the child’s and family’s strengths, problems, and needs. Good service plans also spell out what the services and supports are designed to accomplish as well as how and when progress will be assessed. If the child is receiving special education, the service plan is called an Individualized Education Program (IEP). A federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), describes who is eligible for special education and exactly what must be in an IEP.
Service Planning Teams (Child and Family Teams)
A group of individuals selected by the parents to help develop a child’s service plan. The team can include family members, professionals, friends, experts, and support people. Typically, team meetings are scheduled by the parents and occur as often as is necessary to ensure that the family and child are receiving the help they need.
Strengths
The positive characteristics of the child and family.
Social Worker
A mental health professional trained to provide services to individuals, families, or groups.
Support Services
May include transportation, financial help, support groups, recreation, respite services, and other services to children and families.
System of Care
This a coordinated network of agencies and providers that makes a full range of mental health and other necessary services available as needed by children with mental health problems and their families. It is designed to help children or adolescents with serious emotional disturbances get the services they need in or near their home and community.
Therapeutic Foster Care
A home with trained foster parents where a youth with emotional disturbance lives and has access to other support services.
Therapeutic Group Homes
Community-based, home-like settings providing intensive treatment services, with 24-hour supervision. Services offered in this setting try both to avoid inpatient hospitalization and to move the youth to a less restrictive living situation.
Transition
The process of moving from one setting to another. Also can mean moving from one activity to another, such as evening to bedtime.
Withdrawing Behavior
Showing a reduced interest in activities and contact with others. Can include absence of speech, regression, fearful behavior, and depression.
Transitional Services
Helps youths move into adulthood or into the adult mental health system. Includes mental health care, supported housing, and vocational services.
Wraparound Services
A full range of services tailored to the needs of a youth and his or her family. Includes both traditional mental health and support services. Support services are often unique, and address specific sources of stress.
References: National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Pocket Police Guide: Responding to Youths with Mental Health Needs Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health