Residential Treatment In Hospitals

Beginning in the late 19th century, placements for children and adolescents who were considered intellectually disabled, sick, poor, or mentally ill were primarily based out of orphanages, hospitals, and asylums (Sonis, 1967). Though these residences were often not able to provide the children with the time and care they needed, families would send their children in hopes of a better life for them. As the population in these facilities grew, the need for more humane treatment and trained staff lead to the exploration and development of modern psychiatric facilities. These centers would later be adapted to what is now considered residential treatment facilities (Leichtman, 2006).
The term residential treatment began to grow in popularity in …show more content…
Still, with its growing population and new set of standards, residential treatment began to face new adversities. During the 1970s and 1980s, residential treatment was identified as a type of institution; however, the distinction between residential treatment and hospitals made many question what the benefits were of residential treatment. Hospitals were considered to be run by doctors and nurses, treat more disturbed patients, provide a wide range of therapies, and receive higher levels of reimbursement from third party payers (Lyman & Campbell, 1996). Residential centers, on the other hand, were considered to be any other 24 hour facility that were not licensed as a hospital and provided mental health programs. They were frequently directed by psychologists or social workers, were reported to provide fewer and less evidence-based therapies, and received significantly lower reimbursement (Lyman & Campbell, 1996). At this time, it became difficult to specify what residential treatment was, as many institutions began to call themselves residential treatment centers, even though they were not following the concepts and ideas of the AACRC. In addition, these programs varied in their modalities; some were considered behaviorist, while others focused solely on group process and psychoeducation or considered …show more content…
Day hospitals, wraparound services, and multisystemic treatment options have grown in popularity within the last two decades, bringing about questions of whether residential treatment is really necessary (Sanders, 1997). Due to this questioning, the American Association of Children’s Residential Centers, brought attention to shorter term length of stays during treatment, emphasizing therapeutic work with families, teaching residents adaptive skills, and developing a comprehensive aftercare plan. Additionally, residential facilities are expected to function as part of a continuum of care, with the resident moving from inpatient to outpatient within a specific and cost saving, time frame, as well as engaging the family to support aftercare (Sanders,