Outcomes monitoring after discharge from residential treatment facilities for children and youth

Residential treatment facilities operate under increased pressure to demonstrate outcomes, yet little is known about the outcomes monitoring practices of such facilities. This study analyzed data from a survey of residential treatment facilities to examine the extent to which residential treatment facilities monitor outcomes after discharge. Sixty-nine percent of facilities measured satisfaction with residential treatment after discharge; roughly half measured the use of mental health services, housing status, school performance, and/or clinical functioning after discharge. Facilities that were licensed by the state had 2.17 higher odds (95% CI: 1.22-3.84) of measuring at least one of these outcomes after discharge. Most facilities that measured outcomes did so for no more than sixmonths after discharge. Continued efforts are needed to encourage the monitoring of outcomes after discharge from residential treatment.