CSED Waiver in WV: Eligibility, Wraparound Team, and Costs

The CSED Waiver in WV is a West Virginia Medicaid program that pays for home and community-based services so children and young adults with serious emotional disorders can stay with their families instead of moving into residential treatment or a group home. Its full name is the Children with Serious Emotional Disorder Waiver, and it is run by the West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services.¹ To start the process, families call the Children’s Crisis and Referral Line through Help4WV at 844-435-7498.²

Who the Waiver Serves

The program is for children and young adults who meet clinical criteria for a serious emotional disorder. The services are built around the family so the child stays stable at home and in the community rather than in a facility.¹

For young adults ages 18 to 21, the waiver also supports the move out of facility-based living into a more independent setup like a house or apartment.¹

This is not a permanent placement. The expected average length of stay is six to nine months, though the actual time depends on the child’s needs.¹ Services generally last 9 to 12 months in practice.²

How the Wraparound Team Works

Services are delivered through a wraparound model built around a Child and Family Team. The team includes professionals plus natural supports from the child’s life: extended family, friends, and neighbors. That group works with the family to write and then carry out a plan of care.²

The process runs on family voice and choice. The family’s priorities and values drive the planning. During the initial plan development, the team meets about once a week. Once the plan is running, meetings drop to at least once every 30 days.²

Getting on the Waiver

The starting point is the Children’s Crisis and Referral Line at Help4WV, 844-435-7498.²

The waiver has a limited number of funded slots. When the slots are full, applicants who have already been found eligible go onto a Managed Enrollment List, ordered by the date their eligibility was established. As slots open, people come off the list in that order.¹

What It Costs Families

There is no cost to parents or guardians.²

How the Program Is Working

As of December 2025, roughly 1,900 youth were being served, and utilization had grown 27 percent across 2025. That enrollment was reported as more than double the number of children in residential treatment statewide. Children who stayed in the wraparound program for at least three months were 46 percent less likely to end up in residential treatment than children who did not receive wraparound services.²

Where the Full Rules Live

The complete provider policy for the CSED Waiver sits in Chapter 502 of the West Virginia Medicaid Provider Manual, with the current version effective October 1, 2024. It covers definitions, provider qualifications, service limits, and billing.³

1
WV CSEDW Program. Children With Serious Emotional Disorders Waiver
2
Kids Thrive WV. How Do I
3
WV Bureau for Medical Services. Policy Manuals