An Experimental Study of the Effectiveness of Intensive In-Home Crisis Services for Children and Their Families

Abstract

In this article, we describe the outcomes associated with a 3-year research demonstration project. It is the second of a two-part article concerned with this research conducted in the Bronx, New York, to examine the efficacy of three models of intensive in-home services—Home-Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI), Enhanced Home-Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI⁺),and Crisis Case Management—as alternatives to hospitalization for children experiencing a psychiatric crisis. In Part I (Evans, Boothroyd, & Armstrong, 1997), we described the features of the three program models, the research design, data collection measures, and the presenting characteristics of the children and families. In Part 2, we describe the success of maintaining children at home (82%) and the increases in family adaptability, children's self-concept, and parental self-efficacy both at discharge and at 6 months postdischarge. Enrollees in two of the models (HBCI and HBCI+) experienced a significant increase in family cohesion,although this was not maintained at 6 months postdischarge. While enrollees in the enhanced program showed significant increase in social support at discharge, all enrollees experienced this at 6 months postdischarge.