SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES WAIVER
(SEDW)

What is a Serious Emotional Disturbance?

  • An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.

  • An inability to build or maintain appropriate relationships with peers or teachers.

  • Inappropriate behaviors or feelings.

  • A nonstop unhappiness or depression.

  • Physical symptoms or fears related to personal or school problems.

What is the Serious Emotional Disturbances Waiver?

Serious Emotional Disturbances Waiver (SEDW) provides services that are an increase to Medicaid State Plan coverage for individuals with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED) through age 20, so they may remain in their home communities.

The individual must meet the criteria for admission to the state inpatient psychiatric hospital and be at risk of hospitalization without SEDW services.

Who can participate?

    • Live in Jackson or Hillsdale counties, or

    • Live in foster care in a non-participating county*, or

    • Be age 18, 19, or 20 and live independently with supports.

    *Pursuant to placement by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) or the court of a participating county, with SEDW oversight by a participating county’s Community Mental Health Services Program.

    • Reside with the birth/adoptive family/legal guardian or have a plan to return to the birth or adoptive home, or

    • Reside in a foster home with a permanency plan.

    • Meet current Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) criteria for the State psychiatric hospital for children, as dened in the Michigan Medicaid Provider Manual.

    • Meet Medicaid eligibility criteria and become a Medicaid beneficiary.

    • Meet serious functional limitations that impair their ability to function in the community. These limitations will be identified using age appropriate evaluation assessments.

    • Be under the age of 18 when approved for the waiver. If a child on the SEDW turns 18, continues to meet all non-age-related eligibility criteria and continues to need waiver services, the child can remain on the waiver up to their 21st birthday.

SEDW Services

  • An evidence-based practice that provides an intensive therapeutic living environment for a child with challenging behaviors.

  • Family has the freedom and authority to schedule, hire, and fire staff; sign off on timesheets, train some staff directly, choose wages, and identify areas of supports to manage their employees.

  • A staff person who helps the child with daily tasks.

  • Family: Training/counseling services to improve/develop the skills in managing the lifestyle of parenting a child with special needs.

    Non-family: Provides training, supervision, and monitoring of Community Living Supports (CLS) staff by clinicians.

  • Services designed to provided education, assistance, and other support to parents and families.

  • Someone to be present to prevent, oversee, manage, direct, or respond to a beneficiary’s disruptive, risky, or harmful behaviors during the overnight hours.

  • A service given inside or outside the home to provide caregivers and the child a break.

  • Recreation, music, and art therapies.

  • A camp-setting group recreational/skill building service aimed at meting a child’s IPOS goal(s).

  • A person who works with the family and their identified supports to set treatment goals and decides on services for the child and family. (Required)