The Future of Family Engagement in Residential Care Settings

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Work on this article was commissioned by the Residential Care Consortium (RCC) reflecting their commitment to furthering the practice of family engagement in residential care. Their member agencies include: Bethesda Home for Boys, GA; Boysville, TX; Children's Home of Easton, PA; Children's Square, IA; Good Will-Hinckley Homes for Boys & Girls, ME; Maryhurst, KY; Omaha Home for Boys, NE; and Woodland Hills, MN. In addition, the authors wish to recognize the RCC Task Force for their guidance, expertise, and advice throughout the project. The Task Force membership included: Karleen Brown, MEd, Bethesda Home for Boys; Eugene H. Foster, EdD, Maryhurst; Patrick Garcia, MS, Omaha Home for Boys; Diana Gentrup, MS, Bethesda Home for Boys; Kevin Kimm, MS, LMHP, Children's Square; Anita Paukovitz, MEd, Children's Home of Easton; Dawn R. Peterson, MSW, LICSW, Woodland Hills; Deborah Stephenson, LMSW, Boysville; Shannon Trainor, LCSW, Good Will-Hinckley Homes for Boys & Girls; and Angela Weis, MS, CPLP, Omaha Home for Boys.

The authors would also like to thank the following individuals for their support and expertise in the development of this paper: Robert Lieberman, MA, LPC; Cherie Conte, LMSW, Tom Jewell, PhD, Elizabeth Meeker, PsyD, Stephanie Notar, and Laura Commaroto, LCSW, from Coordinated Care Services, Inc.; Kari Behling, National Director of the American Association of Children's Residential Centers (AACRC); Barbara J. Burns, PhD, Duke University School of Medicine; Margaret Coombes, LMSW; Mary McKay, PhD, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine; Barbara Friesen, PhD, Portland State University; Gary Blau, PhD, Child, Adolescent and Family Branch, Center for Mental Health Services; and Joe Anne Hust, Family Involvement Center.

Notes

1. It is important to note that there is considerable discussion in national policy arenas regarding how to define residential treatment. At times, this takes the form of debate over whether services provided in residential settings should be called residential treatment or residential care. This might be viewed as a frame of reference question referring to whether treatment is part of care, or care is part of treatment. Much of what occurs in residential settings for children constitutes basic care, such as food, shelter, and safety. However youth are placed in these facilities because their overall needs have not been met in other care settings (homes, foster homes, schools, etc.) and they need more specialized help or treatment. Sophisticated treatment interventions have also been referred to as care (e.g., System of Care communities around the country that serve children with serious mental and behavioral disorders). This discussion continues and is worthy of consideration.