Providers of children and adolescent services are increasingly required to provide and document cost-effective services. However, despite rising pressure to measure outcomes in the private and public sector, there are no outcome management systems appropriate to their needs. The CAMHOMS system will: (1) document individual and program outcomes; (2) identify children and adolescents at risk for increased need for services; (3) provide data from multiple informants; (4) be culturally appropriate and strength-based in content; (5) be easily integrated into normal intake/treatment processes and (6) require minimal respondent and administrative burden. A draft instrument and initial item pool are available for pilot testing based on the most comprehensive evaluation of children's services to date, e.g., The Fort Bragg Evaluation Project. The goals of the Phase I project are (1) establishment of acceptable psychometric validity and reliability on the new CAMHOMS instrument on a pilot group of adolescents in two sites; (2) identification of product features required for clinical utility; and (3) development of operational requirements for the seamless integration of CAMHOMS into routine program operations.
Management and documentation of outcomes by public and private sector treatment providers (child/adolescent services): HMO'S; Managed behavioral healthcare organizations; Juvenile justice/public welfare programs.
