Timing of mental health needs evaluation, by facility operation and facility type, 2018

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities

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Facility Practices and Services

Q:	Mental Health: When are youth in residential placement facilities evaluated for mental health needs?
A:	Three-quarters (76%) of facilities reported evaluating youth for mental health needs within one week of admission in 2018.

	Total facilities	Reporting facilities	Within 24 hours	Between 24 hours and 1 week	More than 1 week	Other	Not evaluated
Total	1,510	1,388	35%	41%	6%	17%	1%

Facility operation
Public	903	846	37%	38%	4%	20%	1%
State	331	317	44%	35%	7%	12%	1%
Local	572	529	32%	40%	2%	25%	1%
Private	607	542	33%	45%	10%	12%	1%

Facility type¹
Detention center	625	577	35%	40%	2%	22%	1%
Long-term secure	164	163	55%	35%	2%	8%	0%
Reception/diagnostic center	37	35	51%	37%	9%	3%	0%
Group home	240	217	24%	34%	15%	26%	1%
Residential treatment center	553	511	41%	43%	9%	8%	0%
Ranch/wilderness camp	27	21	33%	48%	5%	14%	0%
Shelter	116	107	18%	44%	7%	32%	0%

Notes: Counts include evaluations conducted either on or offsite the facility location.
Respondents are allowed to select more than one time period in which they evaluate youth. From these responses, a hierarchy is imposed to reflect the earliest time period that the facility reported. For example, a facility that selected 'within 24 hours' as well as 'between 24 hours and 1 week' will appear as a facility that evaluated 'within 24 hours'.

Percent based on number of reporting facilities.

¹ Facility type counts sum to more than the total number of facilities because facilities could select more than one facility type.

[ CSV file ]

Public facilities (37%) were more likely than private facilities (33%) to evaluate youth for mental health needs within 24 hours of admission in 2018. State facilities were the most likely to evaluate youth for mental health needs within 24 hours of a youth's admission in 2018.
At least half of reception/diagnostic centers (51%), and long-term secure facilities (55%) evaluated youth within 24 hours of admission. All other facilities types were more likely to evaluate youth within one week.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/corrections/qa08541.asp?qaDate=2018. Released on May 15, 2020.

Data Source: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Authors' analysis of Juvenile Residential Facility Census 2018 [machine-readable data files]. Washington, D.C.: OJJDP.