Meeting the Needs of Latino and African American Youth: School-Based Behavioral Health Interventions

Approximately 20% of American children have mental health disorders, many of which go untreated. As the youth population becomes increasingly diverse, disparities in health and access to care between racial/ethnic groups are of increasing concern. In one California county, the local health services agency has invested in providing universal access to school-based behavioral health services to youth regardless of insurance status. The majority of the clients served in 2009/10 (n=803) were Latino (52%) and African American (28%), while 20% were of "Other" races. Youth in all three racial groups were referred to services primarily for self-esteem/self-worth; academic; and social/communication concerns. Provider intake and discharge assessments showed more significant improvements in presenting problems and strengths in Latino (35 of 45 indicators) and “Other” youth (22 indicators), than in African Americans (11 indicators). Furthermore, Latino and “Other” youth showed significant improvements in 11 and 7 of the 11 internal resiliency indicators respectively, while African American youth only showed improvements in one indicator. Future analyses will control for risk factors that might explain these differences. For example, the majority of youth in each group lived with their biological mothers (75%-85%); however only 16% of African American youth lived with their biological fathers compared to 58% of Latino and 69% of “Other” youth. Furthermore, Latino (49%) and African American (45%) youth were significantly more likely to be exposed to school, street or domestic violence than “Other” youth (36%). These findings help to reinforce the need for culturally/ethnically-specific services that respond to youth's diverse needs.