United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2003-04-21 monographic deposited born digital 67 p. GA 1.13:GAO-03-397 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-397 P0b002ee180382fd6 f:d03397 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-397 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-397 GAO-03-397 Health care programs Mental health care services Welfare benefits Children Foster children Child adoption Juvenile correctional facilities Juvenile offender rehabilitation Program abuses Medicaid Program State Children's Health Insurance Program Other Written Product A06685

Recent news articles in over 30 states describe the difficulty many parents have in accessing mental health services for their children, and some parents choose to place their children in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems in order to obtain the services they need. GAO was asked to determine: (1) the number and characteristics of children voluntarily placed in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems to receive mental health services, (2) the factors that influence such placements, and (3) promising state and local practices that may reduce the need for child welfare and juvenile justice placements. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-397/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-397.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-397/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-397.pdf GAO-03-397 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-397 Other Written Product GAO-03-397; Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice: Federal Agencies Could Play a Stronger Role in Helping States Reduce the Number of Children Placed Solely to Obtain Mental Health Services; Health care programs Mental health care services Welfare benefits Children Foster children Child adoption Juvenile correctional facilities Juvenile offender rehabilitation Program abuses Medicaid Program State Children's Health Insurance Program Title 29 Section 1001 29 U.S.C. 1001