Mental health issues affect a significant number of children and youths involved in our nation's juvenile and family courts. By properly identifying and treating mental health disorders, young people have a much greater chance for successful outcomes.

Following are some important resources for information on mental health issues:

The February 2006 issue of the online newsletter, The Judges' Page, focuses on mental health issues for children and youth in foster care. The Judges' Page is produced by the National CASA Association and NCJFCJ, and is edited by NCJFCJ Past President Judge J. Dean Lewis.

NCJFCJ Publications
In Winter 2003, the NCJFCJ published "Mentally Ill Youths and the Juvenile Justice System: A Primer on Mental Health Disorders" by Dr. Lisa Melanie Boesky, in its quarterly Juvenile and Family Justice Today. Please click here to download a PDF of this article.

In Fall 2001, the NCJFCJ published several articles on mental health issues in the Juvenile and Family Court Journal, including:

• Juvenile Mental Health Court: Rationale and Protocols
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
• When the Bough Breaks the Cradle Will Fall
• ADHD
• Importance of Mental Illness Education
  
  In 2000, the Journal published an article entitled "Enhancing the Mental Health and Well-being of Infants, Children, and Youth in the Juvenile and Family Courts: A Judicial Challenge." For information about any of these articles, please contact NCJFCJ.
  
  Other recent articles are available in the archives of NCJFCJ's Brevity on the Net, by clicking here.
  
  Another valuable resource on mental health issues is the Office of Child Development and Mental Health, which provides consultation, technical assistance and trainings to juvenile and family court judicial officers and other professionals working with high-risk children and their families. Please click here to link to the OCDMH website.