NCJ Number
207038
Date Published
2004
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This report presents findings from an outcome evaluation study on Florida Department of Juvenile Justice’s residential commitment programs from November 2002 to April 2003.
Abstract
In 2002, Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice implemented a data collection system for medical and mental health diagnoses and treatments for youth in residential care. For the time period of November 2002 to April 2003, information was collected and analyzed from the residential commitment programs. Data were collected from 174 residential programs with a combined monthly average of 5,143 males and 1,108 females. Rates for each incidence measure of physical and mental health diagnoses and service utilization and prevalence rates for physical health conditions were calculated. Highlighted findings from this outcome evaluation include: (1) reported medical conditions included seizure disorder, enuresis/bed-wetting, thyroid disorder, diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorder, immuno-suppression, tuberculosis, hepatitis, kidney disorder, iron deficiency anemia, sickle cell, Osgood-Schlatters disease (joint disorder), and fibromyalgia; (2) relatively few injuries occurred at residential programs; (3) among routine health services, sick call encounters were the most common across facility types; (4) among off-site health services reported private physicians was the most common; (5) females had higher reported prevalence rates than males for all major DSM-IV diagnoses (mental health diagnoses); (6) mental health treatment was provided to 72 percent of females and 65 percent of males; (7) self-harming behaviors were relatively rare among incarcerated youth in Florida; (8) an average of 64 percent of females and 43 percent of males served monthly received some type of prescription medication; and (9) the highest prevalence of both prescription medication use and psychotropic medication use was reported at male specialized mental health programs. Tables