Youth and Provider Perspectives on Social Service Providers’ Roles in Mental Health Services Arlene Rubin Stiffman Diane Elze Eric Hadley-Ives Sharon Johnson SUMMARY. In 1994 and 1996, the Youth Services Project inter- viewed 792 youths from St. Louis City. Although the youths showed a high need for mental health services (20% met diagnostic criteria), less than half of the youths with problems received services. Past contact with a social service provider, but not a teacher, physician, etc., signifi- cantly predicted care for mental health problems (odds ratio = 1.5). Social service professionals (largely social workers) served more youths than did any other profession. Of youths with persistent prob- lems, 25% received services from social service professionals, 3% from MD/PhD level psychiatrists or psychologists, 7% from primary care medical doctors, 12% from teachers/coaches, 15% from other helpers, and 37% received no services at all. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworthpressinc.com] Arlene Rubin Stiffman, Diane Elze, Eric Hadley-Ives, and Sharon Johnson are affiliated with The George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Center for Mental Health Services Research, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130. This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health Grants #R24-MH50857 and R24-MH-56425-01. [Haworth co-indexing entry note]: ‘‘Youth and Provider Perspectives on Social Service Providers’ Roles in Mental Health Services.’’ Stiffman, Arlene Rubin et al. Co-published simultaneously in Journal of Social Service Research (The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 25, No. 3, 1999, pp. 83-97; and: Mental Health Services and Sectors of Care (ed: Enola K. Proctor, Nancy Morrow-Howell, and Arlene Stiffman) The Haworth Press, Inc., 1999, pp. 83-97. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-342-9678, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: getinfo@haworthpressinc.com]. E 1999 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 83