Skip to main content
Log in

Mental Health and Other Service Use by Youth in Therapeutic Foster Care and Group Homes

  • Published:
Journal of Child and Family Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Little is known about what additional services youth receive while they reside in out-of-home treatment settings. However, such information may be crucial for explaining effectiveness and variation in outcomes for youth in such settings. Our research examines patterns of multi-sector service use for youth in two settings—Therapeutic Foster Care and group homes. Data come from in-person interviews with Treatment Foster Parents and Group Home Staff for a NC state-wide sample of youth with psychiatric disorders and aggressive behavior. Findings indicated high rates of service use by youth in both settings. Analyses indicated significant differences in service types used by youth in each setting, yet similar volume of service use between settings. Clinical and demographic factors did not significantly influence types of services received. Differences in service patterns between the two groups indicated that youth in TFC were more likely to receive community-based, individualized services while youth in group homes were more likely to receive more restrictive services.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont College of Medicine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angold, A., Erkanli, A., Farmer, E. M., Fairbank, J. A., Burns, B. J., Keeler, G., et al. (2002). Psychiatric disorder, impairment, and service use in rural African American and white youth. Archives of General Psychiatry, 59, 893–901.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ascher, B. H., Farmer, E. M. Z., Burns, B. J., & Angold, A. (1996). The Child and Adolescent Services Assessment (CASA): Description and Psychometrics. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 4, 12–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berrick, J. D., Courtney, M., & Barth, R. P. (1993). Specialized foster care and group home care: Similarities and differences in the characteristics of children in care. Children and Youth Services Review, 15, 453–473.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burns, B. J., Costello, E. J., Angold, A., Tweed, D., Stangl, D., Farmer, E. M., et al. (1995). Children’s mental health service use across service sectors. Health Affairs, 14, 147–159.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burns, B. J., Hoagwood, K., & Mrazek, P. J. (1999). Effective treatment for mental disorders in children and adolescents. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 2, 199–254.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bussing, R., Mason, D. M., Leon, C., & Sinha, K. (2003). Agreement between CASA Parent Reports and Provider Records of Children’s ADHD Services. Journal of Behavioral Health. Services and Research, 30(4), 462–469.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain, P., Ray, J., & Moore, K. J. (1996). Characteristics of residential care for adolescent offenders: A comparison of assumptions and practices in two models. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 5, 285–297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain, P., & Reid, J. B. (1987). Parent observation and report of child symptoms. Behavioral Assessment, 9, 97–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain, P., & Reid, J. B. (1998). Comparison of two community alternatives to incarceration for chronic juvenile offenders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 624–633.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain, P., & Reid, J. B. (2002). Treatment foster care. In B. J. Burns & K. Hoagwood (Eds.), Community treatment for youth: Evidence-based interventions for severe emotional and behavioral disorders (pp. 117–138). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain, P., & Weinrott, M. (1990). Specialized foster care: Treating seriously emotionally disturbed children. Children Today, Jan.-Feb., 24–27.

  • Colton, M. (1990). Specialist foster family and residential child care practices. Community Alternatives: International Journal of Family Care, 2(2), 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtis, P. A., Alexander, G., & Lunghofer, L. A. (2001). A literature review comparing the outcomes of residential group care and therapeutic foster care. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 18, 377–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T. J., McCord, J., & Poulin, F. (1999). When interventions harm: Peer groups and problem behavior. American Psychologist, 54, 755–764.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, M. H., & Sharma, J. (1998). Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale: A strength-based approach to assessment. Austin, TX: PRO–ED.

  • Farmer, E. M. Z. (2000). Issues confronting effective services in systems of care. Children and Youth Services Review, 2, 627–650.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farmer, E. M. Z., Angold, A., Burns, B., & Costello, E. (1994). Reliability of self-reported service use: test-retest consistency of children’s responses to the Child and Adolescent Services Assessment. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 3, 307–325.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farmer, E. M. Z., Burns, B. J., Phillips, S. D., Angold, A., & Costello, E. J. (2003). Pathways into and through mental health services for children and adolescents. Psychiatric Services, 54, 60–66.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Farmer, E. M. Z., Mustillo, S., Burns, B. J., & Costello, E. J. (2005). The epidemiology of mental health problems and service use in youth: Results from the Great Smoky Mountains study. In M. H. Epstein, K. Kutash & A. Duchnowski (Eds.), Outcomes for children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families: programs and evaluation best practices. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farmer, E. M. Z., Wagner, R., Burns, B. J., & Richards, J. T. (2003). Treatment foster care in a system of care: Sequences and correlates of residential placements. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 12, 11–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • FFTA. (1995). Program standards for treatment foster care. New York: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, P. A., & Chamberlain, P. (2000). Multidimensional treatment foster care: A program for intensive parenting, family support, and skill building. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 8(3), 155–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garland, A. F., Landsverk, J. L., Hough, R. L., & Ellis-MacLeod, E. (1996). Type of maltreatment as a predictor of mental health service use for children in foster care. Child Abuse and Neglect, 20, 675–688.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Handwerk, M. L., Friman, P. C., Mott, M. A., & Stairs, J. M. (1998). The relationship between program restrictiveness and youth behavior problems. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 6, 170–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, S., Landsverk, J., & Slymen, D. J. (2004). Placement movement in out-of-home care: Patterns and predictors. Children and Youth Services Review, 26(2), 185.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, S., & Meezan, W. (2002). Refining the evaluation of treatment foster care. Families in Society, 83, 233–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kataoka, S., Zhang, L., & Wells, K. (2002). Unmet need for mental health care among U.S. children: Variation by ethnicity and insurance status. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 1548–1555.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leslie, L. K., Landsverk, J., Ezzet-Lofstrom, R., Tschann, J. M., Slymen, D. J., & Garland, A. F. (2000). Children in foster care: Factors influencing outpatient mental health service use. Child Abuse and Neglect, 24, 465–476.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lourie, I. S. (2003). A history of community child mental health. In A. J. Pumariega & N. C. Winters (Eds.), The handbook of child and adolescent systems of care (pp. 1–16). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pumariega, A. J. E., & Winters, N. C. E. (2003). The handbook of child and adolescent systems of care. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, L. A., & Pfeiffer, S. I. (1997). Effectiveness of treatment foster care with children and adolescents: A review of outcome studies. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 581–588.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, D. K., Stormshak, E., Chamberlain, P., & Whaley, R. B. (2001). Placement disruption in treatment foster care. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 9, 200–2005.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stroul, B. A. (1993). Systems of care for children and adolescents with severe emotional disturbances: What are the results? Washington, DC: Georgetown University Child Development Center, CASSP Technical Assistance Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stroul, B. A. (2003). Systems of care: A framework for children’s’ mental health care. In A. J. Pumariega & N. C. Winters (Eds.), The handbook of child and adolescent systems of care (pp. 17–34). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stroul, B. A., & Friedman, R. M. (1986). A system of care for children and youth with severe emotional disturbances (Revised Edition). Washington, DC: Georgetown University Child Development Center, CASSP Technical Assistance Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stroul, B. A., & Goldman, S. K. (1996). Community-based service approaches: Home-based services and therapeutic foster care. In B. A. Stroul (Ed.), Children’s mental health: Creating systems of care in a changing society. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

    Google Scholar 

  • U. S. D. H. H. S. (1997). Annual report to congress on the evaluation of the comprehensive community mental health services for children and their families program. Atlanta, GA: Macro International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisz, J. R., Walter, B. R., Weiss, B., Fernandez, G. A., & Mikow, V. A. (1990). Arrests among emotionally disturbed violent and assaultive individuals following minimal versus lengthy intervention through North Carolina’s Willie M Program. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58, 720–728.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wells, K. (1991). Long-term residential treatment for children: Introduction. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61, 324–32

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alfiee M. Breland-Noble Ph.D..

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Breland-Noble, A.M., Farmer, E.M.Z., Dubs, M.S. et al. Mental Health and Other Service Use by Youth in Therapeutic Foster Care and Group Homes. J Child Fam Stud 14, 167–180 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-005-5045-5

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-005-5045-5

Keywords

Navigation