January 1, 2007

Children in Child Welfare: Mental and Behavioral Health

This brief explores the mental health needs of children involved in the child welfare system and discusses the need for mental health screening to detect mental health problems early and identify children who may need further mental health evaluation. Strategies for providing mental health services are reviewed and expectations for Iowa child welfare caseworkers to meet the emotional, developmental, and mental/behavioral health needs of foster children and children served in their home are explained. Examples of mental health documentation are also provided, along with a list of symptoms that may indicate mental health problems are interfering with academic success, research findings on mental health screening in child welfare agencies, and practice tips for caseworkers.