Background: Although secure residential care has the potential of reducing young people's behavioral problems, it is often difficult to achieve positive outcomes. Research suggests that there are several common success factors of treatment, of which the client's motivation for treatment and the quality of the therapeutic relationship between…

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…

Little research has focussed on the perspectives of families caring for someone with severe or profound intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour. The main aim of this research was to gain understanding of the experiences and perspectives of families, especially mothers, of young people with these complex needs, including attitudes to…

The purpose of this study was to determine the trajectories of depressive symptoms as older youths from the foster care system mature while also examining the correlates of these trajectories. Data came from a longitudinal study of 404 youths from the foster care system in Missouri, who were interviewed nine times between their 17th and 19th…

This article explores the core themes and issues of private residential service delivery for children and youth in Ontario, with a specific focus on staffed group care within this sector. Such exploration highlights the juxtaposition of the public rights of children with the private world of service provision. Based on twenty interviews with…

Objective: This qualitative study examined stakeholders' perceptions of the safety of youth ages 12 and older living in congregate care facilities within the New York City foster care system. The study explored the youth's physical safety, the safety of their personal belongings, the physical conditions of congregate care settings, and the…

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…