Does Formal Integration Between Child Welfare And Behavioral Health Agencies Result in Improved Placement Stability For Adolescents Engaged With Both Systems?

National survey data were used to assess whether child welfare agency ties to behavioral health care providers improved placement stability for adolescents served by both systems. Adolescents initially at home who were later removed tended to have fewer moves when child welfare and behavioral health were in the same larger agency. Joint training of child welfare and behavioral health staff was negatively associated with numbers of moves as well as numbers of days out of home