Post-placement involvement and well being of 53 families who had placed their child into a residential facility were studied 1, 2, and 3.5 years following placement. Visitation remained moderately high, with some type of visit reported at least monthly at Time 3 by 83 percent of families. Expressed attachment was high and stable. (Contains…

Despite increasing policy commitment by government to the inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream services, significant numbers of disabled children continue to be placed in residential schools. This article reports on the policies and practice of education and social service authorities in England, patterns of…

A study evaluated effects of a multifaceted training procedure on the inappropriate and appropriate social behavior of five adolescents with mild intellectual disability and on staff responses. The training included video feedback and self-management procedures and staff training with video and graphic feedback. Results indicated increases in…

The current study explores discharge destinations, length of stay, and reasons for return to residential treatment for youth transferred from a residential treatment center (RTC) to a group home. Four entry cohorts (60 boys) were followed from admission through discharge. Results demonstrated that over half of the young persons went to a lower…

Seven basic tasks are presented that must be accomplished for successful residential treatment of multiply abused children, and methods are described to achieve each task. The tasks are: empowering the children, respecting their need for privacy, helping them to feel safe and creating "safety nets" for them, building and supporting their defenses,…

Children cannot be reduced to an illness. They are not things, objects, or diagnoses. They are human beings who can grow and change. Rather than focusing on fixing children, care givers must transform themselves and the environments offered children. Establishing a change-oriented therapeutic milieu is essential in our work with reclaiming…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a military-style residential treatment program for adolescents with academic and conduct problems. Two hundred twelve referred adolescents were separated into 3 groups for analyses: (a) adolescents who completed the 22-week program, (b) adolescents who prematurely withdrew, and (c) wait-list controls.…

Cross-cultural residential placement of children and adolescents requires careful attention to the youth's culture of origin, so that the delivery of the treatment service is respectful of his or her way of life. Cultural protection in treatment facilities, as a principle, ensures that the traditions, symbols, values, norms, and the worldview, as…

Drug courts have been recognized and empirically supported as an effective means of reducing recidivism and use of substances for both juveniles and adults. The paper reports the results of an outcome evaluation of a juvenile drug court in the Upper Cumberland area of Middle Tennessee. As with previous studies, the program showed impressive…

This research study compared the efficacy of two treatment methodologies for adolescent males in residential treatment with conduct disorders and/or personality dysfunctions and documented problems with physical and sexual aggression. The results showed that Mode Deactivation Therapy, an advanced form of cognitive behavioral therapy based on…

This treatment research study extended the results of Apsche, Bass, Jennings, Murphy, Hunter, and Siv (2005), from behavioral data to standard measures of psychological distress. In Apsche, et. al. (2005) results suggest that Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) was more effective than Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Social Skills Therapy (SST) in…

This qualitative study conducted in urban Miami, Florida, explored the essence of juvenile delinquency and recidivism: its causes, its relations to communities, the roles of families, and the myriad roles of residential treatment programs at rehabilitating young offenders. Data were collected from nine young adult participants who had satisfied…

This practicum developed and implemented an organization development plan to improve agency and team effectiveness and staff satisfaction at a private agency that provides educational and treatment services to children with emotional, mental, or behavioral disorders. An extensive literature review on organizational development was conducted and…

This newsletter theme issue focuses on the need to accelerate the closing of institutions for people with mental retardation. Articles are by both current and former residents of institutions and by professionals, and include: "The Realities of Institutions" (Tia Nelis); "I Cry Out So That I Won't Go Insane" (Mary F. Hayden); "Trends in…

This guide is designed for adults who suspect or know they have a learning disability and for family and friends who wish to help. It is intended to provide a starting point for gaining information that can lead to obtaining services at the state or local level. It provides information on assessing the problem, a learning disabilities checklist,…