Emerging Roles of Residential Treatment in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services System

Developing systems of care that provide an appropriate continuum of mental health services is imperative for youth who need mental health care and for their families. Yet historically, tension has existed between residential treatment providers and other community-based mental health services. In response, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has sponsored the Building Bridges Summits to promote collaboration between community-based and residential treatment providers.

Mathematica is conducting a project to build on the work of these summits. The work involves examining (1) the extent to which residential treatment providers operationalize Systems of Care values and principles and whether there are barriers to doing so, (2) the extent to which residential treatment providers are integrated with community-based providers, and (3) whether residential treatment providers assess the need for residential treatment versus nonresidential alternatives. 

This project includes key informant interviews with a range of stakeholders as well as a structured survey of residential treatment providers. Survey data are being combined with data from the SAMHSA National Survey of Mental Health Treatment Facilities to examine how structural and organizational characteristics of residential treatment centers are associated with the adoption of Systems of Care practices. This project is supported by the Center for Health Care Strategies, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and SAMHSA.

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