CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE IN SYSTEMS OF CARE .2. COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES

This is the second in a series of investigations designed to study the characteristics of children and adolescents with serious emotional di sturbance (SED) who are currently being served in various systems of c are, ranging from community-based services to psychiatric hospitalizat ion and residential placement. The sociodemographic, educational, psyc hological, and treatment history characteristics of children and adole scents who were provided with community-based services as an alternati ve to residential placement were examined. Of the 363 children and ado lescents who were judged by community service providers to be at immin ent risk of residential placement, complete sociodemographic data were available for only 228 (63%). These 228 children and adolescents were grouped according to their school-identified disability status at the time they were targeted to receive community-based services: (a) chos e identified as SED (54%); (b) those identified with other disabilitie s, such as mental retardation or learning disabilities (28%); and (c) those with no identified disabilities (18%). The data were analyzed fo r the total study sample-as well as for the three groups-on the follow ing variables: age, gender, race, referral source, guardianship, livin g arrangements, special education status, psychotropic medication, cri minal record, prior involvement with the service system, and history o f residential placement. Significant differences among the three group s were found on a number of variables, including guardianship, medicat ion, criminal record, prior involvement with the service system, and h istory oi residential placement. Findings are discussed in terms of co mmunity-based service needs of children and adolescents with SED.