Family-centered care, in terms of parental involvement and family-centered staff attitude and behavior during placement in secure residential youth care, is increasingly being combined with systemic interventions. Little is known, however, about this combination of family-centered residential care and systemic interventions. This study assessed whether levels of parental involvement or family-centered staff attitude and behavior during placement predicted outcomes of systemic interventions. We first assessed the outcomes in the full sample of families receiving systemic interventions and thereafter in families receiving systemic interventions with a strong evidence base (Multidimensional Family Therapy, Multisystemic Therapy [specializing in treatment of individuals with an intellectual disability/with problem sexual behavior], Relational Family Therapy [MDFT, MST(-ID/-PSB), RGT]) and systemic interventions with a less strong evidence base (Attachment Based Family Therapy, Flexible Assertive Community Treatment [FACT], FamilyFACT, Forensic Ambulant Systemic Therapy, Systemic Therapy [ABFT, (Family)FACT, FAST, ST]). Results revealed that higher levels of parental involvement predicted less family empowerment and a longer duration of the systemic intervention. Higher levels of family-centered staff attitude and behavior predicted more parental distress, a shorter duration of the KEYWORDS Residential youth care; parental involvement; family-centered care; systemic interventions; family functioning CONTACT A. M. M. M. Blankestein

Various Dutch secure residential youth care (SRYC) institutions are implementing a family-centered approach aiming to increase parental involvement and improve treatment outcomes. However, it remains unclear if and how family-centeredness (FC) is related to increased parental involvement and to improved treatment outcomes of adolescents. In this study, we unravelled the relation between FC, parental involvement, and behaviour problems of adolescents in SRYC. Families of 404 adolescents admitted to one of seven participating Dutch SRYC institutions completed a survey (at the start, at the end, and at 6-months follow-up) on problem behaviour of adolescents. In addition, 411 group care workers filled out a questionnaire about their residential group’s level of FC every 6 months. Moreover, the mentor of each adolescent filled out a questionnaire about the level of parental involvement. We analysed the data using multiple mediator models. Associations were found between FC and parental involvement. However, no relation was found between FC and adolescent problem behaviour, and no mediation and no moderation effects of parental involvement were found. Overall, results showed that most parents were involved during the residential stay, and, independent of FC, adolescent problem behaviour decreased over time. Implementing FC in SRYC institutions seems to be helpful in involving parents during the residential stay, but was not found to be associated with adolescent behavioural outcomes. Our results indicate that institutions could improve their level of FC by offering more informal contact moments for parents and by addressing barriers to FC among residential staff.