Family involvement in residential treatment

Area of Science:

• Social Policy
• Psychology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Social policy emphasizes the critical role of family engagement for individuals in residential care.
• Understanding the dynamics of family involvement is essential for effective treatment and support programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the extent and nature of family involvement with residents in a therapeutic residential setting.
• To identify factors influencing the level of family contact and engagement with treatment programs.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed parents and staff regarding family involvement for 163 children and adults in residential treatment.
• Analyzed the frequency and nature of annual family contacts.
• Employed multiple regression to determine predictors of family contact frequency.

Main Results:

• High agreement was found between parent and staff reports on family involvement.
• The average family had 21 annual contacts, with limited correlation to program involvement.
• No evidence of decreasing family involvement over time was observed.
• Key predictors of contact frequency included proximity to the facility, expectation of the resident's return home, and lower levels of intellectual disability.

Conclusions:

• Family involvement in residential treatment remains consistent and is not characterized by detachment.
• Geographical proximity, discharge expectations, and resident's cognitive level significantly impact family contact frequency.
• Findings offer insights for developing strategies to enhance family engagement in residential care settings.