TROUBLED OR TROUBLING - CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUTH REFERRED TO A SYSTEMOF CARE WITHOUT SYSTEM-LEVEL REFERRAL CONSTRAINTS

The characteristics of 128 youth with emotional and behavioral disorde rs referred to a system of care were investigated according to agency referral, behavioral and emotional issues, and risk factors. The refer ral process in this system of care was unique; with each agency referr ing youth deemed to need multiagency services, The primary analysis us ed a two-step clustering procedure to examine characteristic profiles, and results produced evidence of four types of referral profiles: Tro ubled, Troubling, Troubled and Troubling, and At Risk. It was found th at youth with various impairments and corresponding needs were referre d by different agencies (e.g., troubling youth were most likely to he referred by juvenile probation), but all agencies referred youth acros s the four clusters. The results of this study are examined with respe ct to the long-standing policy debate regarding which youth with emoti onal and behavioral disorders should be given priority to receive serv ices. Implications about evaluating outcomes in systems of care are al so discussed.