Dual system youth: Subsequent system re-entry after receiving mental health services

Dual system youth, referring to those involved in the child welfare (CW) and juvenile justice (JJ) systems, require attention as they are particularly vulnerable to mental health (MH) problems. Although many of them receive MH services during their time in the CW and JJ systems, little is known about what happens to them afterward, in terms of system re-entry. Using administrative data on two cohorts of dual system youth in 2003 and 2012, we explored the proportion of dual system youth who re-enter the CW and/or JJ systems after receiving MH services, and the association between individual and case characteristics and the likelihood of system re-entry. We found that 85% of the dual system youth who received MH services became re-involved with the CW and/or JJ systems. Results from multinomial logistic regression showed that youth in the second cohort and females were less likely to become re-involved with the systems. However, youth who were older, experienced out-of-home placement and were diagnosed with disruptive behavior and anxiety disorders experienced greater odds of subsequent system re-entry.