Community Adaptation of Youth Accessing Residential Programs or a Home-Based Alternative: Contact With the Law and Delinquent Activities

This article presents the findings from a longitudinal investigation of the prevalence of negative contact with the law for a sample of youth 12–18 months after graduating from residential and intensive children's mental health programming. Results of this study suggest serious community adaptation difficulties face many youth graduating from these children's mental health programs. This study suggests that delinquency outcomes may be particularly problematic for older males who are transitioning out of treatment programs, as well as for youth with prior contact with the law, and greater challenges adapting to school at program admission.