Reducing the Length of Stay for Children in Residential Treatment

The Rice Child + Family Center has been very successful at accomplishing its goal of transitioning children to a family or community setting as quickly as in the child’s and family’s best interest. Since 2010, Children’s Home + Aid has reduced the average length of stay at the Rice Center by more than 61%. In 2016, the average length of stay at the Rice Center was 17.3 months compared to 20.06 months in 2015.

Through developing healthy relationships and working together on targeted intervention and individualized treatment, we’re able to achieve positive outcomes for our clients and families. The use of restrictive intervention treatment during the first quarter of FY17 dropped 70% as compared to FY16. Moreover, in FY16, 84% of the children who left the Rice Center were discharged to a less restrictive environment. Of those, 100% remained stable in their new setting during the critical 90-day period following their transition.

Over the past year, the treatment teams at the Rice Center have been engaged in targeted conversations, which identify barriers to discharge and the skills or supports needed in order for the client to leave the Center. These types of interventions aim to reduce lengths of stay while keeping the treatment team actively working towards discharge. The conversations have also allowed direct care staff to provide important feedback concerning our clients’ day-to-day functioning while receiving clinical supervision, and support to increase their skills as service providers.

We believe these conversations will not only reduce lengths of stay, but will also decrease crisis situations as the skill levels of direct care workers increase.-Keith Polan, director of Rice Child + Family Center

The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Child + Family Center, located in Evanston, provides a temporary home for many of Illinois’ young children in care with severe mental health and behavior issues. The residential care and treatment center helps children move forward and work towards a goal of transition to a more home like environment within 18 months and ultimately, return to a stable home.

For more information about the Rice Center and the programs offered there, download our center one-pager.