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ABSTRACT
The number of children and adolescents in the United States requiring care for emotional and behavioral problems is a major public health concern. Increased attention to the limitations of current social service systems to meet the needs of this population led to the development and administration of an innovative outpatient Intensive Home-Based (IHB) treatment program for youth who would typically be placed in hospital or residential care. In this effectiveness study, we examined (1) demographic and clinical characteristics of (N = 48) enrolled youth, (2) determined changes in skills, behaviors, self-esteem, and therapeutic involvement of the clients between intake and a three-month follow-up, (3) examined changes in the skills and behaviors of the parent/ caregiver of the child between intake and a three-month follow-up, and (4) calculated the costs of IHB treatment and compared with costs of alternative treatments available in the same community. Results indicated positive outcomes on almost all measures indicating the program's effectiveness, particularly in light of the reduced cost of IHB treatment when compared with hospital or residential care.