Abstract
Communities throughout the nation are attempting to develop comprehensive systems of community-based, interagency care for children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders and their families. Needs assessment has been identified as a key component of these initiatives. A needs assessment provides system planners with the data needed to make informed decisions with regard to improving the current system of care. In this first of a two-article series, an overview is presented of a model needs assessment designed for implementation by an interagency coalition interested in developing a comprehensive system of community-based services for children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders and their families. Major components of the model include foundations for needs assessment, data collection, and data utilization.
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Preparation of this manuscript was funded in part by Grant No. 237E20020 from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. The opinions and statements in this article are those of the authors and in no way represent positions of the U.S. Department of Education.
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Epstein, M.H., Quinn, K., Cumblad, C. et al. Needs assessment of community-based services for children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders and their families: Part 1. A conceptual model. The Journal of Mental Health Administration 23, 418–431 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02521026
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02521026