Juvenile Standards

Home Standards Q&A Juvenile Standards

If a juvenile is already under the care of a community dentist, has seen the dentist recently and then is admitted to a detention center, does the youth still need a dental exam within 60 days?

Yes, an oral examination by a licensed dentist would still be required. The E-06 Oral Care standard for juvenile detention and confinement facilities states that an oral examination is performed by a dentist within 60 days of admission. An oral examination by a licensed dentist includes taking or reviewing the patient’s oral history, an extraoral head and neck examination, charting of teeth and examination of the hard and soft tissue of the oral cavity with a mouth mirror, explorer and adequate illumination.

However, if a juvenile who has received an oral examination in the correctional system within the past year is readmitted, a new exam is not required except as determined by the supervising dentist. The intent of this standard is that juvenile’s serious dental needs are met. Oral care is an important component of an individual’s overall health care. Poor oral health has been linked to numerous systemic diseases.

— From CorrectCare Volume 31, Issue 1, Winter 2017

I work in behavioral health for a state juvenile justice department. Historically, we have used the Juvenile Health Standards book, but we see that there is also a Mental Health Standards book that does not specify adult or juvenile population. Which would be appropriate for us to use?

NCCHC publishes five sets of standards, three of which are specific for health services (2018 manuals for jails and prisons and a 2015 manual for juvenile detention and confinement facilities), one for mental health services (2015) and one for opioid treatment programs (2016). Each set of standards may be used alone or in conjunction with another set of standards. When a jail, prison or juvenile facility is accredited using the Standards for Health Services, mental health is included in the overall accreditation. However, if a facility, including jails, prisons and juvenile facilities, is only interested in accreditation for its mental health program, then the Standards for Mental Health Services in Correctional Facilities manual is used. A dual accreditation may also be achieved by following both the health services standards and the mental health standards or opioid treatment program standards.

— From CorrectCare Volume 30, Issue 3, Summer 2016. Updated April 7, 2022.

Juvenile Standards

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