The Behavioral Health Crisis Care Continuum for Youth, An Issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America

In this issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, guest editors Drs. Jonathon W. Wanta, Vera Feuer, and Rebecca Marshall bring their considerable expertise to the topic of The Behavioral Health Crisis Care Continuum for Youth, a coordinated system designed to provide timely support for children and adolescents experiencing mental health emergencies. Its structured pathways include early intervention, crisis call lines, mobile crisis teams, short-term stabilization services, and connection to ongoing community-based treatment. By reducing reliance on emergency departments, law enforcement, and inpatient hospitalization, the continuum focuses on safety, family-centered care, and helping young people stabilize and recover in the least restrictive environment possible.