Mental Health Services for Unaccompanied Children [JAC v. DHS: FOIA Production Report]

About “Mental Health Services for Unaccompanied Children” Documents

These documents show that unaccompanied children face significant barriers to receiving adequate mental health care in detention, including trauma-related treatment challenges, high clinician caseloads due to staffing shortages, limited access to specialized services, and difficulties transferring children to appropriate care facilities. Prolonged detention and family separation significantly harms unaccompanied children’s mental health.

Related CBP and ICE directives outline enhanced medical screening and care procedures for children in custody, but provide limited clarity and consistency regarding the scope and delivery of mental and behavioral health services.

← Return to Home (FOIA Library: Unaccompanied Children and Non-Parental Family Members

Explore other document categories below:

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) “Wellness Checks” – 4 files
Re-Defining “Unaccompanied Children” – 6 files
Mental Health Services for Unaccompanied Children – 6 files (current page)
Family Rights & Separation – 46 files
Other – 3 files

Mental Health Services for “Unaccompanied Children” (UCs)

1. Transcript Testimony of Ann Maxwell Assistant Inspector General on UC Program [PDF]

Testimony of Ann Maxwell regarding oversight of the unaccompanied children program. The testimony focuses on challenges to the UC program in providing mental health services.

2. CBP Memo on Enhanced Medical Efforts Directive (Jan. 2020) [PDF]

This is a memo about a December 30, 2019 Enhanced Medical Efforts Directive from Carla L. Provost, Chief of U.S. Border Patrol to All Chief Patrol Agents and All Directorate Agents dated January 14, 2020, which includes the December 30, 2019 Enhanced Medical Support Efforts CBP Directive as an attachment.

3. Q&A re CBP Enhanced Medical Efforts Directive [PDF]

This document from January 3, 2020 contains the Questions and Answers regarding the CBP Medical Efforts Directive discussed previously.

4. CBP Interim Enhanced Medical Efforts Directive (Jan. 2019) [PDF]

This is a CBP Interim Enhanced Medical Efforts Directive, dated January 2019, detailing the medical efforts required to mitigate risk and improve care for individuals in CBP custody along the southwest border given the recent surges of unaccompanied children and family units.

5. CBP Memo re Medical Guidance for US Border Patrol Emergency Medical Technician Conduct of Medical Assessments [PDF]

This is a memo called Medical Guidance US Border Patrol Emergency Medical Technician Conduct of Medical Assessments, dated May 21, 2019, detailing procedures for CBP in urgent circumstances when conducting health interviews and medical assessments on children in CBP custody.

6. ICE Behavioral Health Services Directive [PDF]

This is a September 25, 2020 Directive from ICE Behavioral Health Services (BHS) for use by ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) personnel providing behavioral health services for detainees in ICE facilities, including children under 17.