Family Health and Development Project

The Family Health and Development Project (FHDP) is a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the Intensive In-home Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Service (IICAPS) intervention, targeting emotionally, behaviorally, and/or psychiatrically disordered children at risk of a psychiatric inpatient admission and their families. Children and families are randomized to receive IICAPS or Home-based Child Treatment Coordination (Home-based CTC), a home-based case management intervention for coordination of mental health services for children. Approximately 144 children and their families will be enrolled for a 12 month study period. Each study intervention is six to seven months in duration, with approximately 6 additional months of follow-up.

Data are collected from the identified child's parent/legal guardian during three in-person assessment interviews (at enrollment, at end of study treatment, and at 12-months), and during brief monthly phone interviews. Data are collected on child psychiatric symptoms and behavior, child psychiatric inpatient admissions and other service utilization, parenting practices, and parental problem solving skills. Additional data are collected from the child's teacher (child's behavior at school) and the child's school (days missed, suspensions, expulsions, disciplinary action) at baseline, 6-months, and 12-months. Service utilization data will be collected from the Connecticut Department of Social Services using claims data.

The main study aim is to evaluate the efficacy of IICAPS for youth with serious and pervasive mental health problems that places them at risk for institutional placement, and test the hypotheses that children receiving IICAPS will be less likely to exhibit out-of-control behaviors and less likely to experience a psychiatric hospitalization and/or out-of-home placement during and up to six months post-discharge from services. The second study aim is to evaluate how the efficacy of IICAPS for youth with serious and pervasive mental health problems is achieved, with specific focus on parenting practices, parental problem solving techniques, and parental perception of the child.

Inclusion criteria

• child has a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV (DSM-IV) diagnosis
• child at risk of psychiatric hospitalization due to serious out-of-control behaviors
• child resides in home of legal guardian, who is primary caregiver
• child insured by Medicaid
• score in the borderline clinical or clinical range on the Externalizing Scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)

Exclusion criteria

• referred to IICAPS by a probation officer
• suffers from an unstable, chronic medical comorbidity
• prior receipt of IICAPS