Non-referral of psychopathological child firesetters to mental health services

The present study attempted to determine if those children with significant psychopathology were referred to mental health services after having initially been referred to the fire department. On file at the Portland Fire Department were 30 child firesetters whose parent or guardian had completed the Child Behavior Checklist. The CBCL had not been scored prior to the fire department's treatment referral, or prior to our review of the files. Significant psychopathology, determined after the CBCL had been scored, was not a determinant of future referral for mental health services. Thus, there is a need for fire departments and mental health professionals to work collaboratively to determine the appropriate treatment referral for child firesetters.