This study compares outcomes for behaviorally troubled children receiving intensive in-home therapy (IIHT) and those receiving residential care (RC). Propensity score matching is used to identify matched pairs of youth (n = 786) with equivalent propensity for IIHT. The majority of pretreatment differences between the IIHT and RC groups are eliminated following matching. Logistic regression is then conducted on outcome differences at 1 year postdischarge. Results show that IIHT recipients had a greater tendency (.615) toward living with family, making progress in school, not experiencing trouble with the law, and placement stability compared with RC youth (.558; p < .10). This suggests that IIHT is at least as effective for achieving positive outcomes. Given IIHT's reduced restrictiveness and cost, intensive in-home services should be the preferred treatment over RC in most cases.
Objective
This study examines the influence of therapist and youth characteristics on post-discharge outcomes from intensive in-home therapy.
Method
Data for 1,416 youth and 412 therapists were obtained from a behavioral health services provider. The Huber–White method was used to account for nested data; ordered logistic regression was employed to assess outcomes.
Results
Therapist gender and employment stability were significantly associated with youth outcomes. The likelihood of an undesirable outcome was significantly less for cases with female therapists.
Conclusion
Findings underscore the need for additional study concerning the impact of therapist characteristics and stability on youth outcomes, and to improve the understanding of the relationship between the two. Future studies in these areas would advance social work practice in family-based treatment programs.
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