Residential Youth Care Combined with Systemic Interventions: Exploring Relationships between Family-Centered Care and Outcomes

Abstract

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

Residential Care for Children and Youth in the Netherlands

“…Several PhD studies have been performed in our country showing that family-oriented residential care, also in secure settings, is associated with positive outcomes. An example is the study by Blankestein et al (2022):…”