Residential treatment and its alternatives: A review of the literature

Abstract

This review summarizes the literature for residential treatment, family preservation services, treatment foster care, and individualized services and evaluates characteristics of each model, methodological limitations of outcome studies, and treatment effectiveness with children. Although residential care is often viewed negatively, empirical evidence does not suggest differential levels of effectiveness compared to nonresidential alternatives. The results of some nonresidential outcome studies are promising, but efficacy claims should be viewed critically due to the absence of methodologically rigorous evaluations for both residential and nonresidential approaches. Future research should focus on establishing empirically grounded placement criteria, identifying what presenting problems are most amenable to each form of treatment, and maximizing the maintenance of treatment gains in the postdischarge environment. © 1997 Human Sciences Press, Inc.