In D.C., Assessing Young Offenders' Need for Medical Treatment

Colbert I. King's op-ed about the abuse of the drug Seroquel by youths in the care of the District's Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) garbled facts about the drug and showed a lack of understanding about the challenges of working with youths in a secure facility ["An Rx for Abuse Among Young D.C. Offenders," July 18].

Many youths in the juvenile justice system have behavioral and affective disorders consequent to the significant trauma they have experienced. Among the treatment challenges of these disorders is helping youths with sleep problems, including insomnia, frequent waking and nightmares. They also experience heightened irritability and mood disorders. From a clinical standpoint, Seroquel is a preferred intervention with such youths because it addresses all these symptoms and has the fewest side effects.

Further, no youth in DYRS care receives sleep medication without a "sleep study" charting the youth's sleep patterns at night. This study is then reviewed by the psychiatrist before he writes a prescription.

We could have told Mr. King that DYRS has a robust behavioral health unit with one clinician assigned to each group of 10 youths at the New Beginnings Youth Development Center. I know of no other juvenile justice system in the country offering such intensive mental health services.

Finally, it came as no surprise that that the disgruntled staff members who spoke with Mr. King on the condition of anonymity would feed his hyperbole only a week after Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) announced that DYRS was going to increase scrutiny on low performers ["D.C. Punishes Youth Center Employees For Escapes," Metro, July 10]. That The Post continues to print unsubstantiated information from anonymous sources who appear to have a vested interest in thwarting reform continues to be dismaying.

ANDREA WEISMAN

Chief of Health Services

District of Columbia Department

of Youth Rehabilitation Services

Washington