Judicial and Service Decisions for Children Entering State Custody: The Limited Role of Mental Health

In this article, I describe the mental health status of children in three non-mental health systems of care (child welfare, youth corrections, and education), the limited role that mental health plays in the judicial and service decisions that affect them, and the need for improved access to mental health services for children entering state custody. Although a majority of children appear to need mental health services, only 14 percent of the sample were referred for services, and there was no relationship between a child's mental health status and the decision to refer. Age, gender, and previous number of times in custody were related to the reason for custody, the department given custody, and the type of residential placement.