MARTINSVILLE, Ind. —
Child advocates, prosecutors and officials say Indiana is treating its mentally ill children like criminals by placing them in juvenile detention centers instead of offering them the care they need.
Critics tell The Indianapolis Star and The Times of Munster that the state Department of Child Services has the power to order mental health treatment for youths, but rarely uses it unless the children are victims of abuse.
Some claim the agency doesn’t want to spend money on mentally ill kids even though it has a budget surplus.
Agency spokeswoman Stephanie McFarland says it isn’t about money. She says the agency believes there are more appropriate ways to handle the problem and children can receive the same services in the juvenile justice system as they can with the agency.
State News
Critics: Indiana withholds mentally ill kids’ care
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