Determinants of service placements for youth with serious emotional and behavioral disturbances.

This paper examines the association between race and type of service placement for youth with serious emotional and behavioral disturbances. Placements were reviewed for 2,803 black and white youth served in the community mental health system. Differences were found between black and white youth in the type of out-of-home placements they received after controlling for sociodemographic variables and presenting problems. Black youth were more likely than whites to be placed in correctional facilities and foster care while white youth were more likely than blacks to be hospitalized (p < .001). This variation in placement may not be clinically warranted. Placement criteria and outcome assessments are needed.