The behavioral health needs of children
and families are a priority service
concern within the Division of Children's
Services. The Division reaches out to
Behavioral Health
providers Statewide by providing
allocations and technical assistance to
develop the most appropriate services
within all communities in West Virginia.
Such services funded by the Division
include crisis services, special outreach
to schools, in-patient hospitalization and
innovative projects which model the best
practice for serving children, with a
serious emotional disorder, and their
families.
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Nationally, research reveals that about 13% of
children have some "clinical maladjustment".
A subset of this group of children showing
emotional problems can be considered
Severely Emotionally Disturbed.
A conservative estimate is about 5-9% or
about three million children nationally.
Research now supports the fact that poverty
has a direct link to emotional disorders.
As a result, West Virginia's poverty rate
of 27.8%, which is 5% higher than the national
average, indicates that 13% or 52.455 of West
Virginia's children may have a serious emotional
disturbance.
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The Mission of the Division of Children's
Services is: *
To plan and ensure implementation of a
Statewide system of appropriate and
accessible mental health services for
Severely Emotionally Disturbed children
and their families.
The priority areas of focus are consumer and family
involvement, Service System Enhancement,
Community Education and Awareness and
Monitoring. The primary funding comes
from the Federal Block Grant which is
submitted every three years to the Center
for Mental Health Services. State funding
is also received from the legislature for
general appropriations for services resulting
from mental hygiene commitments and to maintain
activities required by state law.
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The Division of Children's Services is located
within the Department of Health and Human
Resources, Bureau for Behavioral Health and
Health Facilities. The address is 350 Capitol
Street, Room 350, Charleston, WV 25301-3702.
Phone 558-0627, Fax 558-1008.
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