Treatment of Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder in Home and Community Settings

Abstract

Youth with serious and persistent conduct problems receive treatment in primary care and mental health clinics, foster group homes, residential treatment centers, foster family homes (see Chapter 23, this volume), family homes, and the public schools. Such settings are often operated or funded through public agencies legally mandated to treat (mental health), rehabilitate (juvenile justice), educate (special education), or protect (social services) youth. Irrespective of the service system (e.g., mental health, juvenile justice) or setting (clinic, foster home) in which youth presenting with Conduct Disorder (CD)* receive treatment, psychotherapy of some type generally bears the burden of producing change (Kazdin, 1994)