Overall, data strongly support the policy that residential treatment programs be judiciously used and reserved for more seriously disturbed and dangerous juvenile sex offenders. Critical to the viability of community-based programming for juvenile sex offenders is early determination of the youth that can be most effectively and safely treated in a community setting. This requires an understanding of issues relevant to differential diagnosis and the use of assessment procedures that support such determinations. There must also be a focus on the determinants of the youth's sexual offending and other maladaptive behavior. This knowledge should be used as the basis for the formulation of the treatment plan and inform decisions regarding placement in group therapy and, if so, with what types of youth. Assessment information should also inform the formulation of therapeutic goals and decisions about the environments in which interventions should occur and who should deliver the interventions. The heterogeneity of the juvenile sex offender population requires the development of a continuum of care that should be as seamless as possible. Further, an increasing body of research suggests that social-ecological models offer promise for improved clinical and cost outcomes with delinquent and aggressive youth. Other intervention concepts discussed are the broadening of the therapeutic focus and improvement in the integration of legal and clinical management. The programs profiled are Wraparound Milwaukee, which is a coordinated system of care for families of youth with severe emotional, behavioral, and mental health problems; and the Norfolk Juvenile Sex Offender Program (Virginia), which is a pilot program for community-based treatment programming for juvenile sex offenders. Based on evaluation findings, this article advises that the enhanced viability of community-based programming for juvenile sex offenders depends on shifts in clinical paradigms and in a greater willingness of clinicians to actively collaborate with legal professionals and allied service providers. The success of such programs also depends on broad interagency planning in the delivery of integrated clinical, legal, and social services to the youths and their families. Key stakeholders must be trained and actively engaged in program planning and resource development. Further, strong community infrastructures must be developed to meet the varied and complex services needs of the clientele. 40 references