Section 135.20  Eligibility criteria

a)         Parent/guardian must be a resident of the State of Illinois.

b)         The child must have a severe mental illness. A severe mental illness is defined as a mental or emotional disorder which substantially impairs thought, perception of reality, emotional process, judgment, behavior, or ability to cope with the ordinary demands of several life domains.  Symptoms must include severely impaired reality testing and may include hallucinations, delusions, avoidance or withdrawal from human contact, marked affective instability, apathy, bizarre behavior, deficient or unusual forms of communication, agitation and/or danger to self or others.  The course of the illness should indicate that the symptoms do not represent an acute episode from which rapid and substantial remission is likely.

c)         There has been an appropriate trial of inpatient, outpatient and/or community-based treatment efforts,  and subsequently residential services are required.

d)         The child must not be under the guardianship of a State agency, or in the legal custody of a State agency.

e)         The child must be enrolled in an approved educational program at the elementary/high school level.

f)          A completed application package in accordance with Section 135.40 of this Part must be submitted before the child attains the age of 17 years and six months.

(Source:  Expedited correction at 23 Ill. Reg. 9034, effective January 25, 1999)