A Preliminary Profile of Latino Children and Youth Receiving Services in System of Care Communities

This report examines demographic and diagnostic data from the national evaluation of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program for Latino children entering services in funded Systems of Care in communities across the United States and its territories. The purposes of this report are to provide a profile of the characteristics of Latino children in Systems of Care and provide an overview for this important volume on Latino children in Systems of Care and the services they and their families receive. Many of the demographic characteristics of the 2,220 Latino children and youth participating in this study are generally compatible with those of non-Latino white children who are receiving services in funded Systems of Care, but there are important distinctions. Latino children are more likely than are non-Latino white children to be referred to Systems of Care by juvenile justice, to be in families with incomes below the poverty level, to have a history of family substance abuse, and, of greater concern, to report a likelihood of attempting suicide. The characteristics of these children underscore the importance of implementing culturally competent and linguistically equivalent services in Systems of Care to address the specific needs of Latino children and youth.