re: family preservation

["Douglas Truitt" <TruittD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

FP definitely has its problems, but I'm not sure its fair to say "FP doesn't work".  For example, MST, which is one form of FP for the juvenile justice population, is as much of a best practice as you can get.  And even other models of FP if adopted *faithfully* can yield outcomes.

Ray Kirk from UNC-Chapel Hill has written a critique of the latest federal evaluation of the Homebuilders model.  His point is that there was serious lack of fidelity in many programs that stated they were doing the Homebuilders model.  At the same time, many of the programs in the comparison group actually were providing services with greater fidelity than those in the Homebuilders group.  Let that sink in for a second...

What Kirk so aptly describes as "the *heart* of the independent variable" (emphasis added) got washed out in that evaluation.

The real question is:  why aren't there more efforts to make fam. pres. better, more faithful to a solid effective practice model?

Doug Truitt
Human Services Evaluation Specialist
Charles County Human Services Partnership
P.O. Box 2150 La Plata, MD 20646
(301) 609-9016 (ph)
(301) 609-9023 (fax)

>>> peters-clark@chc-smtp.spc.uchicago.edu 09/27/01 12:22PM >>>
A recent essay by Francine Jacobs, *What to Make of Family Preservation Services
Evaluations*, discusses the special challenges of evaluating FP, the strengths and
weaknesses of evaluations to date, and the paradox of continued support in light of
limited support of its benefits.  She notes the "overselling" of FP and offers some
recommendations for future.  The essay was a product of a conference held by Chapin
Hall and will soon be downloadable through our web site at www.chapin.uchicago.edu.

Clark



*********************************************************************

Clark Peters
Research Associate
Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago
1313 East 60th St.
Chicago, IL  60637
Direct voice 773-256-5168
Direct fax 773-256-5368

>>> bill higgins <bill_higginsus@yahoo.com> 09/27 10:22 AM >>>
We are reading about in-home services as part of our
agency reading group.  Can anyone answer why states
still use family preservation programs when the
research concludes that they don't prevent placement
or child abuse?  At least when compared with
traditional programs.

Bill


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