- Youth between the ages of 5-18
- Legal residents of Washington State
- Youth diagnosed with a severe psychiatric disorder
- Youth possessing a risk to themselves, others or is gravely disabled which warrants care under the supervision of a psychiatrist
- Community based mental health resources available in the community did not meet the treatment needs of the youth
Medicaid eligibility is determined based on income under the child’s name and the need for longer-term treatment.
CLIP treatment is very costly. The average monthly charge ranges from $14,000 to $25,000. Most youth stay in treatment for at least six months. Very few families can afford this level of treatment so the National Medicaid rule allows children to be eligible for Medicaid due to their need for longer-term inpatient psychiatric treatment. Together federal and state governments share the total cost of the child’s treatment based on his or her eligibility for Medicaid. The federal government decided that any income of the child (not the family) must help to pay towards this total cost.