What makes health care for juveniles different from health care for adult jail inmates?
Both populations are at high risk for a wide range of health and mental health problems, but juveniles have an especially complex mix of developmental, medical, and behavioral needs. While adults have serious behavioral health needs, the acuity, seriousness, and pervasiveness of mental health disorders in the juvenile population is significantly higher. So, when it comes to treating juveniles, in addition to chronic disease, there must be an emphasis on behavioral health. The three leading causes of juvenile death are homicide, suicide, and unintentional injury. These are not traditional medical diagnoses, and to impact them you have to treat the behavioral and social needs of young people. What is the state of health care in most juvenile detention centers? The standard of care in most juvenile detention centers leaves a lot to be desired. There are numerous problems with delivering this kind of care. Almost all juvenile care is delivered either by public sector staff or by private pr
