Services to Severely Emotionally Disturbed Youth

The Services to Severely Emotionally Disturbed Youth Component provides funding for a wide range of services to children and youth who suffer from severe emotional disturbances - a group of persistent disabling mental and emotional disorders with profound impact upon the ability of the youth to adjust to home, school and the community, and upon his/her family to cope. A sub-group suffers from severe mental illness, a condition rare in children and young teenagers, but with a devastating impact upon the youth and the family when it strikes. These disorders are of very long duration, and are very difficult to manage and treat. A few are incurable. This population shares the second legislatively-mandated priority for services--those persons with persistent disabling conditions.