Document Type
Long-term Community Adaptation of Children and Youth Receiving Residential Mental Health Services
Publication Date
10-2009
Department
Faculty of Social Work
Abstract
Earlier research by the Partnerships for Children and Families Project on the daily living realities of youth and children involved with mental health services, particularly residential treatment, revealed the ongoing and pervasive nature of difficulties youth and children experienced in their academic functioning (Cameron, de Boer, Frensch, & Adams, 2003). As the education experience is such a large part of youth and children’s lives, we sought to better document how children and youth were performing in school in the current study.
Data were collected about youth who had been involved with children’s mental health residential treatment (RT) or intensive family service programs (IFS), designed as an alternative to residential treatment. Data were gathered about youth functioning at program entry, discharge, 12 to 18 months (Time 1 Follow Up) after leaving the program, and 36 to 48 months post discharge (Time 2 Follow Up). Parent-reported measures were used to assess youth functioning prior to service involvement and at follow up. Admission and discharge information was gathered from program records. Additionally, parents or guardians were asked a series of questions addressing school attendance and academic functioning. Youths’ perceptions of their school involvements were obtained through individual qualitative interviews.
Both youth and parents or guardians were asked a series of questions addressing school attendance and academic functioning. Parents and guardians responded to questions about whether or not youth/children were in school, how youth/children got along with teachers, and how youth/children were coping with schoolwork. At Time 1 follow up, youth in our study had the opportunity to speak freely about their school experiences by responding to open ended questions about ―how school was going for them‖ and what they liked or disliked about school.
Recommended Citation
Frensch, K. M., Hazineh, L., Cameron, G., & Preyde, M. (2010). Life Domain Research Report Series: School and Employment (pp.1–52, Report, 2010 Update). Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University, Partnerships for Children and Families Project (Long Term Community Adaptation of Children and Families Participating in Residential and Intensive Family Service Children’s Mental Health Programs).