CCF Eligibility Criteria

CCF Eligibility Criteria

Children Come First is an intensive case management program that works to keep children with mental health issues out of institutional placements.  Because of this, one of the primary eligibility criteria is that the youth must be at risk of an institutional placement such as a psychiatric hospitalization, residential treatment placement, or corrections. 

Children Come First is typically not a first stop for services for children with mental health issues.  Due to the intensity and unique nature of our program, children typically do not qualify for enrollment unless they have already received some traditional mental health services in their community which have been unsuccessful or insufficient in meeting the child's mental health needs. 

In addition to the factors above, the following Eligibility Criteria apply:

  1. Child must be a Dane County resident, ages 0-19.
  2. Child must have a DSM mental health diagnosis given by a psychiatrist or psychologist, with the child's symptoms being evident for at least 6 months and expected to persist for a year or longer.
  3. Child must have current emotional/behavioral problems that are putting him/her at imminent risk of a residential treatment, hospital, institutional, or correctional placement as determined by the Administrative Review Board (ARB) of Dane County.
  4. Child must have involvement with 2 or more of the following systems:
    • Mental Health Services
    • Social Services
    • Special Education
    • Child Protective Services
    • Juvenile Justice System
  5. Child must have a functional impairment in at least 2 of the following capacities (compared with expected developmental level based on child's age):
    • Functioning in Self Care
    • Functioning in Community
    • Functioning in Social Relationships
    • Functioning in Family
    • Functioning in School

If you would like to refer your child to the Children Come First program, please see our CCF Referrals page for further information.  If you have any questions about CCF's Eligibility Criteria, you may email us at info@commpart.org, or call us at (608) 250-6634.



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