Youth and Family Participation in the Governance of Residential Treatment Facilities

This study used data from a national survey of residential treatment facilities and conducted interviews with stakeholders in systems of care that serve children and youth with serious emotional disturbances to examine the extent to which youth and families participate in the governance activities of residential treatment facilities. Twenty percent of residential treatment facilities included youth and families in some type of governance activity, such as serving on the board of directors or participating in quality assurance. Thirty-eight percent of residential treatment providers agreed that licensing or accreditation standards should require the participation of youth and families in facility governance, and these facilities were more likely to have adopted treatment practices consistent with a commitment to partnering with youth and families in the delivery of services. These practices include unrestricted visitation and allowing youth and families to select their treatment team. Residential treatment providers and other stakeholders in systems of care identified several challenges to engaging youth and families in facility governance and proposed solutions for overcoming them. Further work is needed to encourage and monitor the participation of youth and families in the governance of residential treatment.