Counseling techniques and programs for working with youth in residential settings
Format
Poster Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
Clemson University
First Presenter’s Email Address
Dscott2@clemson.edu
First Presenter's Brief Biography
Presenter is currently an Associate Professor at an R1 research university. He received his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in Counselor Education. He holds licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor and is a member of ACA. His areas of interest include identity development, at-risk youth, and clinical counseling. He has worked in a variety of settings over the past 20 years which include an inpatient hospital, outpatient counseling center and in private practice with his wife. He was also a director for a large agency that provided a continuum of care services for at-risk youth and their families.
Second Presenter's Institution
Clemson University
Second Presenter’s Email Address
maryelh@g.clemson.edu
Third Presenter's Institution
Clemson University
Third Presenter’s Email Address
hcwilli@g.clemson.edu
Fourth Presenter's Institution
Clemson University
Fourth Presenter’s Email Address
aguyton@clemson.edu
Fifth Presenter's Institution
Clemson University
Fifth Presenter’s Email Address
hmarler@clemson.edu
Location
Poster Mingle and Reception
Strand #1
Health: Mental & Physical Health
Strand #2
Heart: Social & Emotional Skills
Relevance
In the area of mental and physical health. The effectiveness of therapeutic group homes has been questioned as an effective form of treatment for at-risk youth. This presentation will examine the recidivism rates of a sample of at-risk youth who participated in an established group home program. While least restrictive interventions are the primary mode of treatment for adolescents, therapeutic group homes still offer an alternative to training school and long stays in local detention centers for adolescents who may have failed in other therapeutic modalities.
Brief Program Description
The effectiveness of therapeutic group homes has been questioned as an effective form of treatment for at-risk youth. This presentation will examine the recidivism rates of at-risk youth who participated in an established residential group home program, and what the author found that works in this treatment modality.
Summary
The effectiveness of therapeutic group homes has been questioned as an effective form of treatment for at-risk youth. This presentation will examine the recidivism rates of at-risk youth who participated in an established North Carolina group home program. While least restrictive interventions are the primary mode of treatment for adolescents, therapeutic group homes still offer an alternative to training school and long stays in local detention centers for adolescents who may have failed in other therapeutic modalities. Over the past several years there has been a proliferation of level II and level III group homes in North Carolina. Many of these group homes were operating below standards, which prompted the North Carolina Governor to order a site review of every group home in the state. The North Carolina Department of Facility Services and Division of Mental Health suggest that at-risk adolescents can be better served in a least restrictive setting such as outpatient therapy or intensive in-home services. While a trend to use least restrictive therapy models is indicated in the literature, there is still a place for appropriate and effective residential programs. The agency from which the client sample was taken has been operating group homes for over 30 years and is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation. This agency also continually evaluates the programs to ensure effective programs for the at-risk youth it serves. This presentation will describe the general make-up of the at-risk youths served in the group homes, what type of therapeutic model is used in the group homes and the follow-up data that is collected and used to evaluate the group home programs. Recidivism rates (committing other crimes) for adolescents sent to training school are as high as 80% while adolescents who participate in one of the group home programs have a recidivism rate of only 35%. These recidivism rates will be reviewed in the presentation.
Evidence
The effectiveness of these residential services has been measured in three ways: services are evaluated by primary referral sources; follow-up data is obtained at various intervals after program participation to measure recidivism; and a more sensitive, "Offense Seriousness Score", has been computed and analyzed prior to, during and after treatment in the residential program (a sample of 63 participants was used in this part of the study). Also separate data on 740 clients who have participated in the agency group homes over the past several years is examined to determine what percentage got back into trouble with the Department of Juvenile Justice during one-year follow up periods.
Learning Objective 1
Learn about current issues with youth residing in residential settings
Learning Objective 2
Describe what types of interventions may be effective treatment options
Learning Objective 3
Learn about the results of the current study and how to apply them to their settings.
Keyword Descriptors
at-risk youth, residential programs, counseling, mental health, group homes.
Presentation Year
2022
Start Date
3-7-2022 4:45 PM
End Date
3-7-2022 6:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Scott, David; Hester, MaryElliott; Willis, Hunter; Guyton, Aubrey; Marler, Hannah; and Shelton, Dave, "Counseling techniques and programs for working with youth in residential settings" (2022). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 34.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2022/2022/34
Counseling techniques and programs for working with youth in residential settings
Poster Mingle and Reception
The effectiveness of therapeutic group homes has been questioned as an effective form of treatment for at-risk youth. This presentation will examine the recidivism rates of at-risk youth who participated in an established residential group home program, and what the author found that works in this treatment modality.