Author Topic: CRC Industry Survey Study: NATSAP Funded?  (Read 1904 times)

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Offline Deborah

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CRC Industry Survey Study: NATSAP Funded?
« on: August 17, 2006, 03:14:10 PM »
Wonder if this was the study Who referred to?

NATSAP RELEASES RESIDENTIAL OUTCOMES STUDY
August 17, 2006
NEW ORLEANS, LA - Families who have struggled for years with the heartache of finding appropriate help for their troubled teen may find new hope in the results of a just-released study about adolescent treatment options.
According to the study, most teens with serious behavioral or emotional problems that have not responded to other treatments - such as individual or group therapy, medications and psychiatric hospitalization - improve during treatment at a private residential treatment program.

The majority of adolescents were treated for multiple problems (85.5 percent), including disruptive behavior disorders (44 percent), substance use disorders (36 percent), and mood disorder (31 percent). Results showed that teens attending licensed private residential treatment programsexperienced significant improvements in all psychological and behavioral problems studied.
 Interesting, given that the majority of programs are not licensed, and claim to be Boarding Schools, rather than RTCs.

"In the initial findings of this multiphase study, teens whose emotional and behavioral functioning was previously described by their parents as 'clinically' impaired when they began residential treatment, was later described as 'normal' after treatment," said Dr. Ellen Behrens, lead researcher at Canyon Research & Consulting, Salt Lake City, Utah, which conducted the study. (More on Dr Ellen later) "Perhaps even more importantly, the teens themselves later rated their own emotional and behavioral problems in 'normal' ranges after treatment."

The findings, presented on August 12 at the American Psychological Association, the largest association of psychologists worldwide, are the first part of the nation's first large-scale study of private residential treatment programs for adolescents.
Ellen Behrens To Release Long-Term Study at APA Conference
http://www.strugglingteens.com/news/pre ... 060731.htm

"The findings are significant in that both the parents and the students reported tremendous improvement in their communications and personal family dynamics by the time of discharge from the treatment program," added Dr. Behrens. "In addition, both groups felt that student behaviors prior to treatment, including aggressiveness, withdrawal and rule breaking, had been diminished to 'normal' levels. This indicates that these changes were not only statistically significant but clinically meaningful to the family."

"Until now, our industry has relied on anecdotal evidence and individual success stories (Still does) to substantiate the outstanding work that has been done by high-quality, private residential treatment programs throughout the United States," said Jan Moss, executive director of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, a national organization representing programs and professionals assisting young people with emotional and behavioral difficulties. "This research demonstrates what we've always believed - that research-driven and evidence-based private residential programs can help turn around teens in trouble. This information will give new hope to thousands of families who have been struggling with the difficult decision of how to best help a child."

Research-driven and Evidence-based? Dr Ellen & Smoot pitched EBT to NATSAP member last June. How many are RD/EB, and if any, how long? Further, what research driven techniques are they using? Daily confrontation? Carrying rocks? Limited calories? Isolation from family? Is Dr Ellen unaware of the methods and techniques used, or is she a participant in the scam?

The multiphase study was designed to determine to what degree students change over the course of treatment at a private residential treatment program and to determine to what degree students maintain these changes after discharge from the program, as measured in three-, six- and 12-month post-discharge intervals. The current results represent the first phase of the study. The final phase of post-discharge symptom measurement will be completed in summer 2006 with results available by first quarter 2007.

"We are pleased with the positive outcomes made by students at private residential treatment programs upon discharge," noted NATSAP's Moss. "We look forward to the release of data from the next phase of the study, which will focus on how well participants maintained their positive gains one year after discharge."

The current study group consisted of 992 male and female adolescents, ages 13 to 18, admitted to treatment during a two-year period (August 2003-2005). Both the parents and the adolescents were surveyed at the time of the student's admission to the residential treatment program and at the time of discharge.

992 participants, 165 programs. So, on average, each facility picked their 6 best candidates to participate in the survey.

Private adolescent residential treatment programs are defined as boarding schools or programs that provide a highly structured environment, an academic component, and group and individual therapy. These programs typically are paid for by the families of attending students and generally last for three to 18 months.

Canyon Research & Consulting (www.canyonrc.com) is a privately owned company comprised of a team of psychologists and researchers who provide outcome research services to mental health programs and providers.

The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs represents more than 165 programs and professionals assisting young people with emotional and behavioral difficulties. According to NATSAP, parents considering placement of a child at a private residential treatment program should look for licensed and accredited facilities with a longstanding record of safety and a licensed and qualified staff of therapists, teachers and administrators. For more information, visit www.natsap.org.

Commentary on survey studies:
http://wwf.avigation.net/viewtopic.php? ... ens#185648

Who is Ellen Behrens, lead researcher at Canyon Research & Consulting, Salt Lake City, Utah?

Sept 2005- AEG?s Youth Care in Draper, Utah ?partners? with Evidence Based Consulting (EBC), a group of psychologists. (Only 2 listed- Tracine and Carl Smoot)- committed to fulfilling the National Institute of Mental Health's agenda for the application of evidence-based research in testing, assessment and treatment.
This is how the innovative partnership works: EBC provides testing services for Youth Care students by using up-to-date psychological tests, interpretive strategies, and treatment recommendations that are suggested in the research literature. In collaboration with Youth Care therapists, a strategic treatment plan is developed, utilizing research-based practices and measurements. The additional perspective of EBC psychologists provides the best possible assessments and treatment for Youth Care students.
http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/p ... 5186.shtml

More on Evidence Based Consulting
http://www.evidencebasedconsulting.com/

Behrens, Clinical Dir of Youth Care
http://wwf.fornits.com/viewtopic.php?p=218094#218094

Smoot?s are ?Associates? of Open Sky Wilderness
Prior to completing his graduate work, Carl was employed in hospital management. He successfully ran two inpatient psychiatry programs and was later a therapist at (AEGs) Youth Care, Inc.
http://www.openskywilderness.com/assoc.htm

Oct 2005- AEG hosts workshop in Utah. One of the guest speakers:
Ellen Behrens, PhD discussed out of home treatment outcome research. She is the co-founder of Evidence Based Consulting. Behrens was the principal investigator for a large, multi-center study on student outcomes in residential treatment.
http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/p ... 5204.shtml

June ?05  Ellen Behrens and Tracine Smoot pitch ?Evidence-based Practice? to NATSAP members.
http://www.natsap.org/Newsletters/NATSA ... letter.pdf

Dr. Kevin Fenstermacher works for both ?Evidence Based Consulting? (Smoots) and ?Canyon  Research and Consulting? (Behrens).  
http://canyonrc.com/experience.html
http://psychologicalsolutions.info/exec ... 0team.html

Who are CRCs clients? And, who funded this study?
http://canyonrc.com/experience.html
A whole slew of AEG programs.

Under Links at CRCs website one is taken to the APAs Empirically Supported Treatments page. http://www.apa.org/divisions/div12/rev_est/index.html
Their recommendations, under Oppositional Disorders:
Because the immediate goal of treatment is to develop parenting skills, the therapist begins by having parents apply new skills to relatively simple problems (e.g., compliance, completion of chores, oppositional behavior). As parents become proficient using the initial techniques, the child's most serious problem behaviors at home and in school are addressed (e.g., fighting, poor school performance, truancy, stealing, firesetting). In most PMT (PARENT Management Training) programs, the therapist maintains close telephone contact with the parents in-between sessions. These contacts are used to encourage parents to ask questions about the home programs, to provide an opportunity for the therapist to prompt compliance with the behavior-change programs and reinforce parents' use of the skills, to strengthen the therapeutic alliance, and to allow the therapist to problem-solve when programs are not modifying child behavior effectively.

II. Summary of Studies Supporting Treatment Efficacy
PMT is one of the most extensively studied therapies for children and has been shown to be effective in decreasing oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior (for reviews of research, see Dumas, 1989; Forehand & Long, 1988; Kazdin, 1985; Miller & Prinz, 1990; Moreland, Schwebel, Beck, & Wells, 1982). Randomized controlled trials have found that PMT is more effective in changing antisocial behavior and promoting prosocial behavior than many other treatments (e.g. relationship, play therapy, family therapies, varied community services) and control conditions (e.g. waiting-list, "attention-placebo"). Follow-up data have shown that gains are maintained from posttreatment to 1 and 3 years after treatment has ended. One research team found that noncompliant children treated by parent training were functioning as well as nonclinic individuals approximately 14 years later (Long, Forehand, Wierson, & Morgan, 1994). The benefits of PMT often generalize to areas that are not focused on directly during therapy. For example, improvements in parental adjustment and functioning, marital satisfaction, and sibling behavior have been found following therapy. Overall, perhaps no other technique has been as carefully documented and empirically supported as PMT in treating conduct problems.
A unique feature of PMT is the abundance of research on child, parent, and family factors that moderate treatment effects. Moreover, PMT, either alone or in combination with other techniques, has been applied with promising effects to other populations including autistic children, mentally retarded children and adolescents, adjudicated delinquents, and parents who physically abuse their children. The principles and procedures on which PMT relies have also been applied in many settings including schools, institutions, community homes, day-care facilities, and facilities for the elderly.
http://www.apa.org/divisions/div12/rev_ ... child.html
« Last Edit: September 22, 2006, 10:07:23 PM by Guest »
gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hidden Lake Academy, after operating 12 years unlicensed will now be monitored by the state. Access information on the Federal Class Action lawsuit against HLA here: http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=17700

Offline Anonymous

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CRC Industry Survey Study: NATSAP Funded?
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2006, 10:39:21 PM »
The study was done by consultants from Salt Lake City. That says quite a lot right there.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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CRC Industry Survey Study: NATSAP Funded?
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2006, 10:50:00 PM »
Are there even 165 programs that will talk to NATSAP?

What's to stop this whole thing from being complete make-believe?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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CRC Industry Survey Study: NATSAP Funded?
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2006, 09:46:17 AM »
I suspect the qualifications needed to be a "Modification Specialist" are roughly the same as those needed to be a bouncer at a bar.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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CRC Industry Survey Study: NATSAP Funded?
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2006, 11:49:45 AM »
My first observation just on a study design basis would be that since most critics of Programs claim that the kids are scared stiff of admitting to any problems or deviating from compliance in any way, any follow up would have to talk to the subjects after they are adult and out of their parents' control.

Since the second big criticism of Programs is that the PTSD kicks in after five to fifteen years, then any clinical study, to address that, needs to go at least five years out and needs to include clinical evaluation of PTSD symptoms.

When you break it down, this study seems to be measuring compliance.

Do these facilities achieve compliance?  You bet they do.  That's never been in question.

The question has always been "At what price?"

One of the things any study like this would need on the parent and kids' individual surveys would be a "lie scale."

Research psychologists have ways of measuring, in surveys, to tell if someone's trying to "fake good."

You've gotta have that with this kind of survey, to determine to what extent the parents, having already bought the product, are perceiving everything as over-rosy to justify their buying decision, and to determine to what extent the kids are desperately trying to look improved so they don't get sent back.

It's good that someone is trying to do real research.

Real research has to be designed to address the concerns of critics or it doesn't tell you anything.

All this research basically says is that BM facilities are successful at generating compliance in the teen.  We already knew that.

Julie
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Deborah

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CRC Industry Survey Study: NATSAP Funded?
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2006, 03:20:50 PM »
It good someone is trying to do real research? Depends on who that someone is. Even if it were 'real', is it unbiased? I think not.
How about a 'real' assessment of the industry by an Independent source, which would include evaluating the methods and procedures employed to 'modify behavior' and collecting information from ex-staff, parents, and participants who were unhappy/abused, deaths, injuries, etc. as well.

C Smoot employed by AEG and serveral other RTCs.
Smoot and Behrens co-create Evidence Based Consulting.
Behrens Clinical Director for Youth Care program, Member NATSAP.
Smoots 'partner' with AEGs Youth Care program.
Smoots are 'associates' of Open Sky Wilderness, Member NATSAP.
Behrens creates Canyon Research and Consulting- most of their clients are AEG programs.
Smoot and Behrens pitch EBC to NATSAP.
Dr. Kevin Fenstermacher employed by both EBC and CRC.

Looks more like a concerted effort to shore up the industry?s reputation, and give parents a false sense of security.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hidden Lake Academy, after operating 12 years unlicensed will now be monitored by the state. Access information on the Federal Class Action lawsuit against HLA here: http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=17700