Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbance (OMH)

For Children and Adolescents with Serious Emotional Disturbance - Office of Mental Health (OMH)

  • Provides supports and services that enable individuals who would otherwise require an institutional level of care to live at home or in the community.
  • The program is for persons between the ages of 5 and 17 who have complex health and mental health needs.

What are the services and who provides them?

Services include individualized care coordination, family support, crisis response, skill building, and respite care. The waiver is administered by OMH and monitored by OMH's central office and regional offices. Providers develop an individualized service plan for each child and family, and coordinate the mental health and health care services needed to enable individuals to remain in their homes. The program requires the child and family to be involved in all phases of planning and delivering the services.

Who is eligible?

This program is available to Medicaid-eligible children with serious mental illness.

How do I access the services of the waiver?

Contact your local Department of Social Services (LDSS) or mental health office for information about referrals and the application process.

Providers must demonstrate to OMH that they meet local, state, and federal rules and regulations. Both OMH and DOH review the services each year, to ensure participants' health and welfare.

For further informtion see: