Record numbers of adolescents will be detained this year. Detention staff are recognizing increasing numbers of detainees with mental health and substance abuse problems. If funding and resources are to be allocated to meet these mental health needs, the extent and nature of the need must be documented. This means that juvenile detention facilities must provide consultants with statistics on the number of youth who require detoxification, report substance abuse, are currently in mental health treatment, require medication management, and report suicidal thought or suicide attempts. In planning a strategy for mental health services, there are a number of models from which to choose. The three models profiled by the American Medical Association are on-site comprehensive care, which provides 24-hour medical and mental health care with ongoing treatment programs that often include prevention and education; on-site limited care, which ranges from weekly consultation by a community physician to well-staffed dispensaries; and off-site care, which involves services contracted through local emergency rooms or mental health facilities. In deciding upon the range of services to be provided, seven basic components should be considered: admission screening, comprehensive screening and treatment planning, crisis management, supportive counseling, case management, psychiatric or psychological assessment, and medication management. 2 tables and 13 references