PARENTAL PERSPECTIVES ON COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL-DISORDERS

Concern about the educational, legal, and psychological/social problem s experienced by children and youth with emotional and behavioral diso rders (EBD) has led to the development of new approaches to serving th ese youngsters and their families. One new approach includes the evolu tion of a comprehensive, community-based system of care. This study so licited parent participation in a county-wide needs assessment designe d to create the foundation for the development of a comprehensive syst em of care. Parents (N = 121) were surveyed to obtain their perception s of their contacts with various service agencies as well as to gather their input into how comprehensive services could best be designed an d implemented. Overall, parents viewed the services their family had r eceived as favorable. However, their needs and concerns focused on obt aining information about community services, finding recreational acti vities for parents and children, and locating transition programs and alternative schooling for their children. The information presented wi ll prove helpful for policy makers, agency administrators, and school personnel developing Systems of care to more effectively address the n eeds of children with EBD and their families.