Adolescents in residential treatment: Characteristics and treatment outcome.

This study investigated the characteristics of adolescent clients in a residential program and identified which characteristics best predict treatment outcome. Adolescent characteristics were identified by reviewing 150 randomly sampled charts. Characteristics were specified on a data sheet which included the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) to determine level of behavioral severity. Treatment outcome was based on discharge summaries contained in the charts. Results indicated that adolescents who are less likely to succeed in treatment (a) exhibit more severe antisocial behavior, (b) live with someone, or some placement, other than family, and (c) do not receive a combination of treatment modalities. Implications for closing the research practice gap by identifying priorities for further study are discussed