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Residential care has been criticized for its high cost and limited research evidence. While recent studies and reviews of the literature suggest that a number of evidence-based practices are being implemented in residential care settings, more research is needed to develop and test empirically based practices that can be successfully implemented in residential care. In this article, we offer a promising strategy to address this issue: a long-term research partnership between a large service provider agency and a university-based research center to conduct a program of research which has resulted in translation of evidence-supported practices into service provider programs, contributions to the science of residential care, and training opportunities for young applied scientists to specialize in this important work. This evolving program of research includes four core applied research topic areas in which this collaboration has had some ongoing success: program and practice implementation fidelity, therapeutic process factors, aftercare, and psychotropic medication use. We suggest that this type of long-term collaborative research partnership is an approach for others to consider for conducting research that informs effective residential care practices.

The Teaching Family program is one of the most extensively researched models for residential care. A major meta-analysis found that the Teaching Family Model (TFM) was one of the five most consistently effective treatments for delinquents. However, two recent publications imply that behaviorally based and/or group treatments might be harmful. Moreover, studies have rarely investigated TFM outcomes for girls as well as boys. This study responds to these challenges by reporting outcomes of the Girls and Boys Town Family Home Program, a modification of the Teaching Family Model. Both boys and girls improved significantly on 16 of 17 standardized outcome scores and were functioning as well as national norms three months after discharge. This expands evidence of the Family Home Program's effectiveness to a wide range of outcomes for girls as well as boys.

Examines whether substantial increases in the positive interactional ratios of six highly disruptive adolescents would decrease their behavior problems. Results indicate that the intervention significantly decreased behavior problems in the boys as a group. Discusses findings in terms of response-contingent reinforcement and systemic behavior analyses. (RJM)

Discusses specific elements that can foster effective and abuse-free out-of-home care, increase program effectiveness, and reduce negative outcomes such as staff burnout. Elements include caregiver support, a model of care, a focus on positive behavior, a consumer orientation, training, program evaluation, and an internal program audit. (HTH)

Rehabilitation programs provided for homeless children suffering from psychological depression and family problems often seem to amplify their prevailing problems and produce fresh ones.

The history of out-of-home care is replete with documented examples of abusive and neglectful practices. Some scholars express concern that out-of-home care is de facto abusive. Certain elements, however, can foster effective and harm-free out-of-home care, such as caregiver support, a model of care, a focus on positive behavior, a consumer orientation, training, program evaluation, and an internal program audit. These elements work together to increase program effectiveness and reduce negative outcomes such as staff burnout. Furthermore, programs that use these elements can be cost efficient.

Youth entering residential care possess significant emotional and behavioral needs; yet, it is uncertain whether these needs have remained constant or are changing over time. This study examined mental health variables from the admission files of 1,047 youth entering residential group home care in 1995 and 2004. Sequential logistical regression analyses revealed that the mental health needs of youth admitted in 2004 were greater than those for youth in 1995 with regard to having multiple psychiatric diagnoses, being prescribed two or more psychotropic medications, and using alcohol or drugs. As such, these analyses should be replicated in other group homes as well as in other placement settings within the system of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on a research which was conducted to study change over time in a variety of behavioral domains. It investigated empirically the comparability of factor loading patterns derived from a series of P-technique and one chain P-technique analyses. The same data were used in both analyses, and the factor analyses were performed with an emphasis on objectively obtained similarity of loading patterns. P-technique factor analyses of the data revealed three patterns of day-to-day variability to be common to all participants. Examination of the chain-P factors indicated that this method did not represent adequately all of these patterns.

Examines the factors of cross-person replicability from a study on the behavioral patterns of female schizophrenics. Assessment of the replicability of P-technique factors; Comparison of results related to nomothetic and to idiographic systems of psychology; Use of congruence coefficients as indices of factors matching.

The article examines the implications of parenting programs for middle-income families with children having developmental, learning and behavioral problems. Longitudinal studies suggest that children in families under financial stress have higher rates of identified problem behavior. The Common Sense Parenting Program was designed to be a practical program that would be useful for parents of all socioeconomic levels. This program is an adaptation of the Boys Town Family Home Program, a well-researched approach to providing family-style residential treatment for children with significant behavior and emotional problems. The parenting program is a logical extension of this residential program designed primarily to teach child management skills for parents to use in their own homes. In the current study the program was provided to parents of both middle- and low-income groups and data were collected to measure its impact on reported child behavior problems, parent attitudes, and parent problem-solving skills.