Terms Used In Tennessee Code 33-8-201

  • Child: means a person who is under eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
  • Drug dependence: means drug abuse that results in the development of tolerance or manifestations of drug abstinence syndrome upon cessation of use. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
  • Mental illness: means a psychiatric disorder, alcohol dependence, or drug dependence, but does not include intellectual disability or other developmental disabilities as defined in title 52. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
  • Serious emotional disturbance: means a condition in a child who currently or at any time during the past year has had a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to meet psychiatric diagnostic criteria that results in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits the child's role or functioning in family, school, or community activities and includes any mental disorder, regardless of whether it is of biological etiology. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
  • Support: means any activity or resource that enables a service recipient to participate in a service for mental illness or serious emotional disturbance or in community life. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101

A child who has alcohol or drug dependence may only receive mental health service or support from the mental health service division if the condition is concurrent with another serious emotional disturbance or mental illness.