Program Features
Who Can Receive WISe?
WISe serves Medicaid-eligible youth up to age 21 with complex behavioral health needs and their families.
Referring to WISe
- You can refer a youth/young adult for a WISe screen at any time. Parents can initiate treatment, but after age 13, a child must consent to services.
- You should consider referring your youth/young adult for a WISe screen if they are: In Special Education and/or has a 504 Plan with multiple school suspensions for mental health and/or behavioral issues.
- Involved in multiple systems (i.e., mental health, child welfare (CPS), juvenile justice, developmental disabilities services, and/or substance use disorder treatment), and the systems are struggling to support your child together.
- Experiencing hard-to-understand behaviors that are challenging to you, other caregivers, or other therapists/clinicians, and traditional services alone are not helping.


When You Should Look to WISe
- You’re a frequent user of the crisis line or emergency rooms due to your child’s mental health.
- Your child is experiencing challenging, hard-to-understand behaviors, and traditional services are not helping.
- Your child is displaying an elevated risk of harm to themselves or others.
- You need a more intensive, individualized approach for your child.
- You need a more flexible and engaging approach for your child.
- Your child is involved in more than one service system, and the system(s) are struggling with supporting the youth in a coordinated way.
- Your child is in Special Education and/or has a 504 Plan, with multiple school suspensions for mental health and/or behavioral issues.
The WISe program helped my child so much. The way the program creates a team of caring adults to surround and support everyone involved was so powerful. There is much more understanding in our family now, and my child is doing so much better.
Olivia
