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Each year a large number of children with emotional and behavioral problems are placed in residential treatment facilities. Without adequate descriptions of these children, proper placement, treatment, and outcome evaluation cannot be realized. This article presents descriptive data on 211 children placed in several residential treatment programs in the state of Alabama. Characteristics of these children were obtained from standardized questionnaires completed by supervisory staff members in the facilities. These findings, as well as issues relevant to clinical practice, are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous evaluations of residential and day programs for emotionally disturbed children have neglected the effects of pre-admission client variables on treatment outcome. The present study examined the influence of nine such client factors on behavioral ratings improvement and academic improvement of 50 children discharged from Brewer-Porch Children's Center, University of Alabama. Structural analyses revealed that the child's I.Q., age, parental involvement, and living situation were predictors of behavioral ratings improvement, while parental involvement, race, and I.Q. were predictors of academic gains. Results were related to existing knowledge of individual client variables' effects on treatment outcome. In addition, the research model employed was discussed in terms of its utility for internal program analysis and its contribution to knowledge of intervention effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical element of any treatment approach is the assessment of behavioral functioning and outcome. Numerous techniques have become accepted as parts of behavioral assessment, but rating scales, though often used by researchers and clinicians, have been largely neglected in discussions of behavioral assessment. This article will describe how child behavior rating scales may be used in conjunction with other techniques for descriptive and evaluative functions throughout five assessment stages. Special attention will be paid to differential utility and applicability according to these identified phases and functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This survey examined the characteristics of families who used a sick child day-care center and the variables that determined their use in comparison with families who did not use such a facility Families who used sick child day-care had more favorable attitudes toward the facility and a greater need for these services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a self-report measure to assess the effects of relaxation training was examined. A rigorous statistical method of scale construction consisting of a modification of the scale discrimination technique was employed, resulting in a 45-item questionnaire representing three orthogonally derived scales. The three scales, Physiological Tension, Physical Assessment, and Cognitive Tension, demonstrated adequate internal consistency with KR20 reliability coefficients of .89, .95, and .81, respectively. In a second study of predictive validity, 40 individuals were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: relaxation training, tension inducement, pre-postcontrol, or postcontrol. Univariate analysis of variance indicated significant findings for each of the three dimensions of the inventory. The Physiological Tension Scale detected significant increases in tension following tension inducement, whereas the Physical Assessment Scale and Cognitive Tension Scale detected increases in relaxation following relaxation training. Recommendations were made for future research on the inventory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One method for substantially enriching the utility of program evalaution data is the use of multiple linear regression. Based on easily explained principles, multiple regression can provide child treatment administrators with information for understanding treatment processes and increasing treatment effectiveness. Among the applications discussed in the present paper are the role of the regression technique in determining probable causes for treatment outcomes, setting priorities for resource allocation, determining client selection and termination criteria, and predicting program costs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The need to document accountability is an essential task for administrators of residential treatment facilities. This paper is a description of a statewide project designed to monitor and evaluate residential treatment programs for emotionally disturbed children. We present a model detailing the components of program evaluation and the relation of these components to the purposes and uses of the evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]