(a) Services for children who have mental illness or serious emotional disturbance are governed by all of this title. The general assembly finds that supporting families in their role as primary care givers for their children is more humane, efficient, and cost effective than placing children in state custody to obtain necessary services or otherwise placing children in settings outside their homes.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 33-8-101

  • Mental illness: means a psychiatric disorder, alcohol dependence, or drug dependence, but does not include intellectual disability or other developmental disabilities as defined in title 52. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
  • Serious emotional disturbance: means a condition in a child who currently or at any time during the past year has had a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to meet psychiatric diagnostic criteria that results in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits the child's role or functioning in family, school, or community activities and includes any mental disorder, regardless of whether it is of biological etiology. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Support: means any activity or resource that enables a service recipient to participate in a service for mental illness or serious emotional disturbance or in community life. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
(b) For children covered by this title, the following service principles are fundamental to carrying out the responsibilities of service providers and advocates:

(1) Families and children are most responsible for determining their needs and should be included appropriately in planning and providing service and support;
(2) Families should receive the support they need to care for their children at home;
(3) Service providers and advocates should enable families and children to make good decisions concerning necessary, desirable, and appropriate services;
(4) Service providers should coordinate services among agencies likely to provide services and supports to children and families;
(5) Service providers and advocates should participate in development of interagency agreements under § 33-1-308 to assure consideration of the needs and problems of children and families; and
(6) Service providers should achieve smooth transitions in services and supports as children grow through various stages of development and become vested in making decisions for themselves, including the transition into adulthood.
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