(1) Lead agency. The department of health and welfare shall be the lead agency in establishing and coordinating community supports, services and treatment for children with serious emotional disturbance and their families, utilizing public and private resources available in the child’s community. Such resources shall be utilized to provide services consistent with the least restrictive alternative principle, to assist the child’s family to care for the child in his home and community whenever possible. The state department of education shall be the lead agency for educational services.
(2)  Planning. The department of health and welfare, the state department of education, the department of juvenile corrections, counties, and local school districts shall collaborate and cooperate in planning and developing comprehensive mental health services and individual treatment and service plans for children with serious emotional disturbance making the best use of public and private resources to provide or obtain needed services and treatment.
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Terms Used In Idaho Code 16-2404

  • Child: means an individual less than eighteen (18) years of age and not emancipated by either marriage or legal proceeding. See Idaho Code 16-2403
  • Consistent with the least restrictive alternative principle: means that services are delivered in the setting that places the fewest restrictions on the personal liberty of the child and that provides the greatest integration with individuals who do not have disabilities, in typical and age-appropriate school, community and family environments, which is consistent with safe, effective and cost-effective treatment for the child and family. See Idaho Code 16-2403
  • Department: means the department of health and welfare. See Idaho Code 16-2403
  • Serious emotional disturbance: means a diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM) diagnosable mental health, emotional or behavioral disorder, or a neuropsychiatric condition which results in a serious disability, and which requires sustained treatment interventions, and causes the child’s functioning to be impaired in thought, perception, affect or behavior. See Idaho Code 16-2403
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories; and the words "United States" may include the District of Columbia and territories. See Idaho Code 73-114
  • Teens at risk: means individuals attending Idaho secondary public schools who have been identified as expressing or exhibiting indications of depression, suicidal inclination, emotional trauma, substance abuse or other behaviors or symptoms that indicate the existence of, or that may lead to, the development of mental illness or substance abuse. See Idaho Code 16-2403
(3)  Teens at risk. The department of health and welfare, the state department of education, the department of juvenile corrections, counties, courts and local school districts may collaborate and cooperate in planning and developing mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and recovery support services and individual service plans for teens at risk.
(4)  Contracting. The department of health and welfare shall also have the authority to enter into contracts with school districts to provide teen early intervention specialists as provided for in section 16-2404A, Idaho Code.