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Characteristics related to family involvement in youth residential mental health treatment
- Authors:
- ROBST John, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 35(1), 2013, pp.40-46.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This study examined family involvement among youth in residential mental health treatment facilities in Florida. Data were obtained from the provider reports from January 2005 through December 2007. Contacts by all family members was for in-person treatment, treatment-related phone contacts, treatment planning, campus visits, and therapeutic home passes. Families averaged 3.4 contacts per 30 days for the 1333 treatment episodes. Sixty-seven percent of the contacts included mothers, while 22% of the contacts involved fathers. A majority of contacts were for family therapy, either by phone (29% of contacts) or in person (43%). Nearly twenty percent of residential stays had no family contact. After the first 30 days of treatment, contacts did not vary significantly over the course of the treatment episode, although there was some evidence that youth with longer treatment episodes had fewer contacts throughout the residential stay. Total contacts were lower for girls than boys, for blacks than whites, and for older youth, and were higher when the youth lived in the same county as the residential treatment provider. Outreach programs could target specific demographic groups with low involvement, and the alternative methods for involvement that use internet conferencing tools should be explored for parents that live far from the treatment provider. (Edited publisher abstract)
Family involvement and changes in child behavior during residential mental health treatment
- Authors:
- ROBST John, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Youth Care Forum, 42(3), 2013, pp.225-238.
- Publisher:
- Springer
Background Family involvement is viewed as an important component of the treatment process for children in residential treatment centers, but little is known about the impact of contact with family members on changes in youth functioning. Objective The goal of this study was to use administrative data to examine the association between family involvement and youth outcomes for a Medicaid-funded residential treatment programme in Florida. Differences between in-person and telephone intervention contacts based on the proximity of the family residence to the programme were also explored. Methods The sample was divided into two groups based on the number of family contacts per month during the treatment episode; i.e., number of family contacts equal to or less than the median and number of family contacts greater than the median. Generalised estimating equations were used to examine characteristics related to the percent change in scores on a measure of emotional and behavioral functioning. Results Results suggest that maternal and paternal contacts, as well as the total number of family contacts, were associated with greater improvements in youth functioning. Youth that resided in a different county than the residential programme had greater improvement in behaviours when the family was involved regardless of whether contact was in-person or over the phone. Conclusions Family involvement, including phone contacts, is associated with improved youth outcomes during the treatment episode. (Publisher abstract)