The present study evaluates the Youth Initiated Mentoring (YIM) approach in which families and youth care professionals collaborate with an informal mentor, who is someone adolescents (aged twelve to twenty-three) nominate from their own social network. The informal mentor can be a relative, neighbour or friend, who is a confidant and spokesman for the youth and a co-operation partner for parents and professionals. This approach fits with the international tendency in social work to make use of the strengths of families’ social networks and to stimulate client participation. The current study examined through case-file analysis of 200 adolescents (YIM group n ¼ 96, residential comparison group n ¼ 104) whether the YIM approach would be a promising alternative for out-of-home placement of youth with complex needs. A total of 83 per cent of the juveniles in the YIM group were able to nominate a mentor after an average of thirty-three days. Ninety per cent of the adolescents in the YIM group received ambulatory treatment as an alternative for indicated out-of-homeplacement, while their problems were largely comparable with those of juveniles in Dutch semi-secure residential care. Results suggest that the involvement of important non-parental adults may help to prevent out-of-home placement of adolescents with complex needs.
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This article presents an evaluation study of a case management method for child protection services, the Delta Method for Family Supervision, in terms of supervision order duration and occurrence and duration of out-of-home placements. Additionally, case and case manager characteristics were examined. Data was collected about 224 cases, 58 case managers and 30 team managers of all 15 offices of the Child and Youth Protection Services in the Netherlands. In all cases the Delta Method was applied. Data were obtained by interviews, questionnaires and case files. Multi-level analysis was performed to study the influence of independent variables on supervision order duration, and the occurrence and duration of out-of-home placements. Case characteristics related to 87% of the differences in the duration of supervision order, case manager characteristics to 13% of the differences. Some case manager characteristics about applying the Delta Method were significantly related to shorter duration of the supervision order and the occurrence and duration of out-of-home placement. Case characteristics also showed strong relations. Together with the more general aspects of case management supported by this study, such as a one family and one worker approach, this contributes to a more effective practice of case management for child protection services.
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Background: An adaptation of multisystemic therapy (MST) was piloted to find out whether it would yield better outcomes than standard MST in families where the adolescent not only shows antisocial or delinquent behaviour, but also has an intellectual disability. Method: To establish the comparative effectiveness of MST‐ID (n = 55) versus standard MST (n = 73), treatment outcomes were compared at the end of treatment and at 6‐month follow‐up. Pre‐treatment differences were controlled for using the propensity score method. Results: Multisystemic therapy‐ID resulted in reduced police contact and reduced rule breaking behaviour that lasted up to 6 months post‐treatment. Compared to standard MST, MST‐ID more frequently resulted in improvements in parenting skills, family relations, social support, involvement with pro‐social peers and sustained positive behavioural changes. At follow‐up, more adolescents who had received MST‐ID were still living at home. Conclusions: These results support further development of and research into the MST‐ID adaptation.
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