Increasing mental ill-health among youth and young people sent back and forth between different welfare state actors have been subjects of concern in Sweden in recent years. These young people are often labelled as having ‘complex needs’, with a placement as the social services’ possible intervention. What do young people stress as positive as well as negative experiences with placements? How can the concept ‘complex needs’ be understood in relation to placements? Semi-structured interviews were made in 2018, in two municipalities, with 9 young people between 15-22 years. They have received support from social services and psychiatric care, often related to substance abuse. The young people’s history is often a long-term process of different forms of placements, both in families as well as in residential care. Too short-term interventions may lead to discontinuity in care. Residential care is often perceived of as more storage than treatment and care. Implications are that the young person’s placement need to be more carefully monitored. Treatment introduced at the placement need to be better coordinated and evaluated jointly by social services and psychiatric care. It is important that professionals have more interventions to suggest and are working proactively to avoid future placements.