Though research has focused on clinical characteristics and behavioral problems of youth in out-of-home mental health placement settings, few studies have examined how adolescents and emerging adults (Arnett, 2000) experience and make sense of treatment. In this study, semistructured interviews regarding the experience of mental health placement…

Young people who live in residential care are caught between discourses of being a victim of abuse and inadequate care or being a troublemaker by their own conduct. Both discourses are rooted in the reasons for placement, and they will offer subject positions that are experienced as troubled. Repeated interviews with young people living in…

Ambiguous loss and boundary ambiguity experienced by families during the process of placing their child in out-of-home care was described by parents in 20 families raising a child with severe or profound developmental disabilities. In retrospective interviews, parents discussed their experiences before and after placing their child and how they…

Background: Official guidance on out-of-area placements creates incentives that could lead to people being placed against their own best interests, with negative consequences for them and for the "receiving" authorities. Method: Information was collected for 30 people through interviews with them, their families, home managers and care managers.…

The Circle of Courage, based on traditional Native American philosophy, emphasizes belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. This study assessed the prevalence of the Circle of Courage values among youth in a residential facility and examined the relationship between these ideals and indicators of placement success. After 12 weeks in…