Four Years Along: Emerging Traits of Programs in the NATSAP Practice Research Network (PRN)

Abstract

In its fourth year of active data collection, the NATSAP Practice Research Network (PRN) is showing promising outcomes for the NATSAP programs actively participating; however the overall implications of this PRN are still emerging. This study specifically looked at the changes reported by youth and their parents from admission to discharge using the Y-OQ scales. Overall, significant mean differences with large effects sizes were found at discharge, with many changes large enough to show significant clinical change according to the Y-OQ benchmarks. Additional analyses suggested that gender and depression were related to rates of change in both residential and outdoor behavioral healthcare programs. Despite these findings and similar to PRNs overall, there are several limitations to these findings including large variations in the data, limited generalizability, attrition and missing data. Only with increased support both on the research and program side can the potential of this PRN be realized.