The State Interagency Council for Services to Children with Emotional Disabilities (SIAC) is a group consisting of state agency representatives and the parent of a child with an emotional disability, that oversees coordinated policy development, comprehensive planning, and collaborative budgeting for services to children with emotional disabilities. SIAC conducts monthly meetings that are open to the public.

Kentucky IMPACT

Established through legislation written in 1990 by Representative Tom Burch of Louisville, SIAC oversees the hallmark program known as Kentucky IMPACT. It also offers oversight and consultation to various other child-serving programs and initiatives.

The primary goal of the IMPACT program is to coordinate local and state resources to serve children with severe emotional disabilities in their own homes, schools and communities, and to avoid out-of-home placements.

Kentucky IMPACT is administered on the local level by 18 Regional Interagency Councils. These interdisciplinary councils serve as the gatekeepers for entry and exit from the IMPACT program and oversight of funding provided to support the programs.

Service Planning Teams

Service Coordinators facilitate the creation of service planning teams that identify and address the needs of the child and family, and the first member of every service team is always the parent or guardian. Together the team members decide who should be included in developing a plan to serve the child.

Service team members frequently include school personnel (teachers, guidance counselors or school social workers), therapists, family members and other caregivers, and others involved in the child's life on a regular basis. Staff from the Departments for Community Based Services and Juvenile Justice or Court Designated Workers are also team members if the child is involved with those agencies.

Annual Report

The State Interagency Council provides an Annual Report to the Governor and Legislative Research Commission that provides details about ongoing and new initiatives.

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