This competing continuation application requests 1 8 months of funding to conduct analyses with data generated from an NIMH-funded investigation examining the mental health needs and use of mental health services by a particularly vulnerable segment of the child population, children who are placed in foster care. These data sets were assembled from baseline, 6 and 1 2 month assessments of all 2 to 6 year old children entering foster care in two geographically and services-system distinct areas of Connecticut. These data were gathered using a 2-group quasi-experimental design to compare the two cohorts of foster care children: intervention children who received a comprehensive baseline mental and physical assessment in a Foster Care Clinic (FCC); and comparison children who received only customary mental and physical health services. The data sets contain information on the baseline physical and mental health status of the children placed in foster care as well as 6 and 1 2 month follow-up data which reassess physical and mental health status and receipt of mental health, educational and physical health services. The 36 months of funding in the original application focused on: (1) hiring and training study personnel as well as identifying all children placed in relative and non-relative foster care; (2) completing all baseline, 6 month and 1 2 month assessments and following up with community providers to confirm all mental and physical health services received by these children; and (3) initial descriptive analyses of the children. Thus, although the project is on schedule, 34 months are required for data collection, leaving only 2 months available for data analysis. This application requests additional funding to use these unique data sets to examine issues related to the use of and need for mental health services that can not be examined during the first phase of this research. Specifically, we propose to determine whether: 1. The FCC assessments increase the likelihood of problem identification and referral for specialty sector mental health services compared to customary procedures and services in the comparison group; 2. Recommended mental and physical health services influence 12-month postentry behavioral, adaptive functioning and foster care placement status; 3. There are interactions of baseline behavioral, health and adaptive functioning levels with services received and whether these interactions influence key outcomes: 12-month postentry behavioral, adaptive functioning and foster care placement status.
| Horwitz, S M; Balestracci, K M; Simms, M D (2001) Foster care placement improves children's functioning. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 155:1255-60 |
| Horwitz, S M; Owens, P; Simms, M D (2000) Specialized assessments for children in foster care. Pediatrics 106:59-66 |
| Wyatt, D T; Simms, M D; Horwitz, S M (1997) Widespread growth retardation and variable growth recovery in foster children in the first year after initial placement. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 151:813-6 |
| Heneghan, A M; Horwitz, S M; Leventhal, J M (1996) Evaluating intensive family preservation programs: a methodological review. Pediatrics 97:535-42 |
