Addressing girls’ health needs at juvenile detention centers

Stoneleigh Fellow Leslie Acoca is featured in the Los Angeles Times for her work developing the Girls Health Screen. 

Los Angeles County health and probation officials recently began working to better identify and treat the health and mental health problems of about 240 girls in custody. They are using a tool called the Girls Health Screen, a 117-question survey designed by Leslie Acoca, president of the L.A.-based National Girls Health and Justice Institute. “If we don’t ask the questions, these girls’ health needs are invisible,” said Acoca, who added that her goals are to improve the girls’ health and reduce the odds of their re-arrest.

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