NUMBER 1034 • 29 AUGUST •
Quality residential treatment
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Residential treatment, despite criticisms of its effectiveness and despite its
relatively high cost, will continue to serve the most seriously disturbed
children. There will continue to be a need to place acutely disturbed children
into short-term residential units until the child can be served in less
restrictive but highly structured programs. Also, chronically disturbed children
whose family support systems have deteriorated, or are no longer available, will
need to be served in residential treatment facilities. In 1985, there were
20,000 children in residential treatment centers (Taube
& Barrett, 1985). There are at least that many children placed and many
thousands more needing such placements today. There are enormous pressures on
residential treatment today. The pressures are both philosophical and financial.
Residential care exists in opposition to the prevailing philosophical position
of treatment in Consequently, inpatient and residential treatment programs are undergoing intense scrutiny. There is great impetus to produce programs that meet the needs of children in the briefest, most effective ways. Modern programs are having to change their model of care. They can no longer exist as stand-alone facilities, isolated from the continuum of care. They must be part of a system of care. In such a system, children’s needs are met in the most cost efficient, yet effective option. |
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