The population that I selected to discuss are youth in foster care. The social problem that I chose to highlight is how youth in out of home placements (i.e. therapeutic foster care) are being prescribed psychotropic medications at an increased rate, when compared to non-foster youth.
Therapeutic foster care placements in some states is referred to as, treatment foster homes. Youths that have severe emotional, behavioral or mental health needs are typically placed in therapeutic or treatment foster homes. Typically, these are the youth that transition from hospital settings to community based setting being therapeutic foster placement.
According to Breland-Noble et al., (2004), in response to these problems and issues, youth in treatment foster care tend to receive a wide range of services both within the treatment foster home and from broader child-serving community, and show high rates of psychotropic …show more content…
Psychotropic medications can be useful in improving and stabilizing a youth’s mental health symptoms. However, in-depth assessment should be conducted and factors such as reasons, in which the youth placed in care should be taken into consideration when assessing youth for medication.
Youth who enter foster care are subjected to a great deal of stress. Such as, the stress of being displaced from biological family, separated from siblings, placed in an unfamiliar home, placed in multiple homes, etc.… These stressors can contribute to the manifestation of behavioral issues, trigger a behavioral disorder or emerge in combination with an existing mental disorder. According to Naylor et al., a significant body of literature shows that children in foster care are at higher risk for developing emotional and behavioral disturbances and mental illness that youth from comparable backgrounds
Therapeutic foster care placements in some states is referred to as, treatment foster homes. Youths that have severe emotional, behavioral or mental health needs are typically placed in therapeutic or treatment foster homes. Typically, these are the youth that transition from hospital settings to community based setting being therapeutic foster placement.
According to Breland-Noble et al., (2004), in response to these problems and issues, youth in treatment foster care tend to receive a wide range of services both within the treatment foster home and from broader child-serving community, and show high rates of psychotropic …show more content…
Psychotropic medications can be useful in improving and stabilizing a youth’s mental health symptoms. However, in-depth assessment should be conducted and factors such as reasons, in which the youth placed in care should be taken into consideration when assessing youth for medication.
Youth who enter foster care are subjected to a great deal of stress. Such as, the stress of being displaced from biological family, separated from siblings, placed in an unfamiliar home, placed in multiple homes, etc.… These stressors can contribute to the manifestation of behavioral issues, trigger a behavioral disorder or emerge in combination with an existing mental disorder. According to Naylor et al., a significant body of literature shows that children in foster care are at higher risk for developing emotional and behavioral disturbances and mental illness that youth from comparable backgrounds