Lost in transition: Illicit substance use and services receipt among at-risk youth in the child welfare system

Cecilia Casanueva, Leyla Stambaugh, Matthew Urato, Jenifer Goldman Fraser and Jason Williams

Children and Youth Services Review, 2011, vol. 33, issue 10, 1939-1949

Abstract: This study examined the use of mental health and substance abuse services among adolescents in the child welfare system (CWS) who reported use of illicit substances. 1004 adolescents age 11-15Â years at baseline were followed for 5-7Â years, over five waves of data collection. Shortly after the investigation for maltreatment (baseline), 69.1% of youths using illicit substances received mental health and/or substance abuse outpatient specialty services. By the last follow-up, during the transition to adulthood, only 21.5% of young adults using illicit substances received outpatient specialty services. Youth who used illicit substances were more likely to receive outpatient and inpatient specialty services than non-users at the time of contact with the CWS (mostly baseline), but this difference faded over the follow-up period. By 5-7Â years follow-up, there was no significant difference in specialty services receipt for illicit substances users versus non-users. Predictors of outpatient service use at most waves were having Medicaid, mental health needs, and having recently seen a school counselor or primary care physician. Among illicit substance users transitioning to adulthood, African American youths were less likely to receive outpatient specialty services than White youths. These findings reveal a need for more attention to illicit substances use among youth in the CWS, better cross agency integration, and special attention to the needs of transition-age youth to better connect them with services as they age out of the CWS.

Keywords: Illicit; substance; use; Specialty; services; Child; welfare; system; Child; maltreatment; Adolescents; National; Survey; of; Child; and; Adolescent; Well-Being (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:33:y:2011:i:10:p:1939-1949

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