The chapter first discusses the need for intervention services for troubled youth, which requires centralized intake facilities. Single intake facilities have the resources that can identify the problems of juveniles and then involve them in appropriate services and intervention programs. As a general model, single intake facilities involve representatives from a range of community agencies, including law enforcement, juvenile justice, and human service agencies. Single intake units, such as juvenile assessment centers or community assessment centers, have been established throughout the United States. The chapter presents a brief history of juvenile assessment centers, followed by a discussion of key elements of assessment centers and variation among assessment centers. A review of the opportunities offered by juvenile assessment centers is followed by an identification and discussion of the challenges confronting these centers. The challenges include guarding against net widening, the need to ensure continuing support of key stakeholder agencies, community acceptance, the need to maintain a strong infrastructure and high-quality operation, and the need to maintain the original vision. The chapter concludes with a vision for the future in which juvenile assessment centers contribute to the quality of life in a community by increasing the effectiveness of interventions for high-risk youth. 55 references