September 23, 2010

The Unmet Promise: The Untapped Resource of Mental Health Treatment for Youth in the D.C. Juvenile Justice System

On September 22, 2010, the District of Columbia Behavioral Health Association released a report finding youth in the District of Columbia's Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services were not receiving adequate mental health services once they were released from detention centers. The report also found that 70% of the youth in the juvenile justice are estimated to need mental health services, but data (though incomplete) suggests that both agencies may be serving less than one percent with specialized services through Medicaid. Only one-half of one percent of DYRS youth and 0.06% of youth with Court Social Services were treated by a specialized child provider.