Michigan Association for Children with Emotional Disorders

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The shameful shift of children suffering from emotional disorders from the mental health system to the juvenile justice system.

For the past several years MACED has assisted with cases of children with mental illness charged with criminal offences.

MACED is currently developing an advocacy project in honor of the late Harry J. Nederlander.

The Association is always looking for new ways to improve the mental healthcare system for children and we welcome your suggestions for new programs.

New Programs

Site Updates

Welcome to the new home of the Michigan Association for Children with Emotional Disorders. Check back often for exciting new updates to the MACED website.

IDEA Reauthorization update

The Senate is about to take action on its version of IDEA Reauthorization (“Individuals with Disabilities Education Act”), S.1248. The House passed a version that eliminates important protections for children with emotional disorders and mental disabilities, and threatens the guarantee of a free and appropriate public education. The Senate bill was passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in early July, 2003. The House and Senate bills allow schools to suspend students for behavior considered a violation of a school’s student conduct code that makes it easier for schools to place children in alternative interim settings than it is under current IDEA law. The Senate bill retains the requirement of current IDEA law that schools consider the impact of a child’s disability when deciding to change her or his placement following discipline violations.

S.1248 makes several other improvements to the house bill that include:

Positive Behavior Supports: The bill takes pro-active steps so that students receive the supports they need to manage their behavior. The bill also provides funding to schools to expand behavior supports and whole school behavior interventions.

Alternative Assessments: The bill successfully addresses the need for states to do more around alternate assessments.

School to Life Transition: The bill includes several provisions to increase the success of special education students who transition from school post-secondary education or employment. Specific requirements are added to the Rehabilitation Act and the bill strengthens the transition provisions of the Individualized Education Plan.

Personnel: The bill considers the “highly qualified” provisions of No Child Left Behind and applies them to special education teachers. It strengthens and expands personnel preparation and personnel development authorities for both special education personnel and general educators.

Despite these improvements, the Senate bill contains several provisions of concern. They include: continue