52-2-302. Definitions.

MONTANA STATUTES AND CODES

     52-2-302. Definitions. The following definitions apply to this part:
     (1) (a) "High-risk child with multiagency service needs" means a child under 18 years of age who is seriously emotionally disturbed, who is placed or who imminently may be placed in an out-of-home setting, and who has a need for collaboration from more than one state agency in order to address the child's needs.
     (b) The term does not include a child incarcerated in a state youth correctional facility.
     (2) "Least restrictive and most appropriate setting" means a setting in which a high-risk child with multiagency service needs is served:
     (a) within the child's family or community; or
     (b) outside the child's family or community where the needed services are not available within the child's family or community and where the setting is determined to be the most appropriate alternative setting based on:
     (i) the safety of the child and others;
     (ii) ethnic and cultural norms;
     (iii) preservation of the family;
     (iv) services needed by the child and the family;
     (v) the geographic proximity to the child's family and community if proximity is important to the child's treatment.
     (3) "Provider" means an agency of state or local government, a person, or a program authorized to provide treatment or services to a high-risk child with multiagency service needs who is suffering from mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders.
     (4) "Services" has the meaning as defined in 52-2-202.
     (5) "System of care" means an integrated service support system that:
     (a) emphasizes the strengths of the child and the child's family;
     (b) is comprehensive and individualized; and
     (c) provides for:
     (i) culturally competent and developmentally appropriate services in the least restrictive and most appropriate setting;
     (ii) full involvement of families and providers as partners;
     (iii) interagency collaboration; and
     (iv) unified care and treatment planning at the individual child level.
     (6) "Wraparound philosophy of care" means a planning process that is designed to address the needs of a child and the child's family and that:
     (a) empowers the family to take the lead in making decisions affecting the planning for support systems and services;
     (b) reflects the family's values, preferences, culture, strengths, and needs;
     (c) emphasizes community-based natural and informal support systems;
     (d) involves collaboration among members of a team that is developed with involvement of the family and that includes agencies, providers, and others who offer support to the child and family;
     (e) provides services in the least restrictive and most accessible setting possible; and
     (f) contains measurable outcomes that are regularly reviewed by the team and adjusted as necessary.