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Transitioning Youth from Residential Treatment to the Community: A Preliminary Investigation

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Abstract

Systematic transition planning through family involvement, service coordination, and community involvement is critical for achieving change for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders in residential treatment centers (RTCs). Sixty-two individuals (21 staff members, 21 parents, and 20 adolescents) from an RTC were interviewed regarding these practices. Results indicated that the RTC involved adolescents and parents in discharge planning, taught youth skills for success in the community, and facilitated community involvement. However, other areas needed improvement, such as communication between the residence and the adolescents’ home schools, more frequent and longer home visits, and aftercare services.

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Acknowledgements

Portions of this paper were presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, Atlanta, GA, March 2005. The authors wish to thank the staff, parents, and adolescents whose participation made this work possible. We are also grateful to Sekani Carroll and Christina Ortiz for their help administering interviews and to WAL-MART and Hannaford for their donations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, University at Albany – State University of New York , ED 232, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA

    Amanda B. Nickerson, Sarah A. Colby, Jennifer L. Brooks & Jennifer M. Rickert

  2. Northeast Parent and Child Society, Schenectady, NY, USA

    Frank J. Salamone

Authors
  1. Amanda B. Nickerson
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  2. Sarah A. Colby
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  3. Jennifer L. Brooks
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  4. Jennifer M. Rickert
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  5. Frank J. Salamone
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Correspondence to Amanda B. Nickerson.

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Nickerson, A.B., Colby, S.A., Brooks, J.L. et al. Transitioning Youth from Residential Treatment to the Community: A Preliminary Investigation. Child Youth Care Forum 36, 73–86 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-007-9032-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-007-9032-4

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