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Generating referrals to newly established programs: a cost effective comparison of two procedures
Community Mental Health Journal
|January 1, 1980
Summary
Adding follow-up contact to inservice training significantly increased referrals for programs serving aggressive children. This enhanced approach proved more cost-effective and allowed for personalized outreach.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Program Development
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Newly established programs require effective referral strategies.
- Identifying families with aggressive children presents unique challenges.
- Optimizing outreach is crucial for program accessibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of two referral generation methods.
- To determine the impact of follow-up contact on referral rates.
- To assess the cost-effectiveness of different outreach strategies.
Main Methods:
- Two matched groups of schools were utilized.
- One group received inservice training with follow-up contact.
- The other group received inservice training without follow-up contact.
Main Results:
- The inservice plus follow-up contact group generated four times more referrals.
- Referral rates were statistically significant (p < .025, one-tailed).
- The enhanced approach demonstrated greater cost-effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- Follow-up contact is a critical component for effective referral generation.
- The inservice plus follow-up procedure enhances program outreach and efficiency.
- Individualized public relations contact and prescreening opportunities are benefits.