The project stemmed from a recognition that a substantial number of youths in the juvenile justice system have unmet mental health needs, and the existing system has not responded effectively in addressing these needs. The project is modeled after and builds on a similar 7-year project conducted in Pennsylvania. Like its Pennsylvania counterpart, the Indiana project expects to become a statewide initiative. The project is in its second year of funding by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. In the last year, a statewide advisory board was established to guide the project. The advisory board selected six geographically diverse counties to be the pilot counties. Representatives from those counties have been added to the advisory board and to the various committees that worked on the project during the last 6 months of 2007. The counties have developed their own protocols and participated in training necessary to implement screening, assessment, and treatment (referrals) for youth entering detention facilities as of January 1, 2008. The screening tool being used is the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument, Version 2. During the next year, the pilot project will work with the counties to help build local capacity to obtain treatment for youths; explore opportunities for diversion of youths with mental health needs into community-based services; and identify important mental health/correctional training opportunities, including behavioral management training for detention center staff. In June 2008, the advisory board will consider additional counties to include in the project in 2009. 6 notes