A generation ago, the Joint Commission on the Mental Health of Children concluded that “there is not a single community in this country which provides an acceptable standard of services for its mentally ill children.” Since then, many states have acknowledged the need to develop a system of care for such children, yet few adequate solutions have been implemented. Parents and other decision makers often face two unsatisfactory choices: coping as well as they can by themselves or turning the child over to someone else.

This book surveys issues related to the care and civil commitment of children with emotional disturbance. The authors examine research on the residential treatment system for children and youths, then analyze the prevailing legal framework for the commitment of minors to such treatment. They systematically address the question of what child mental health policy should be and conclude by proposing a policy that emphasizes privacy, autonomy, and family integrity. No Place to Go is both a major scholarly statement on the treatment of children with emotional disturbance and a rallying cry for principled change.

Gary B. Melton is the director of the Institute for Families in Society and a professor of neuropsychiatry and behavioral science, and adjunct professor of law, pediatrics, and psychology at the University of South Carolina. Phillip M. Lyons Jr. is an assistant professor at the College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University. Willis J. Spaulding is an attorney in Charlottesville, Virginia.