In 1995, a group of Indiana Juvenile and Family Court Judges challenged the children’s residential provider community to provide evidence that programs and services provided to abused, neglected, and delinquent, children were effective. A committee and pilot study were launched resulting in the implementation of the Outcome Measures Project in 1998. The Project began measuring outcomes in a smaller set of service areas. Because of demand and changes in the behavioral health landscape, the Project added to that list over time and now includes data from twelve distinct service areas. The Project began as an Indiana-only initiative. Based on its success and usefulness to participants and key decision makers, though, it was opened to all agencies in the United States in 2004. Seven states have been represented in the Project. In 2009, the Project was converted to a web application making participation easier and data collection more efficient.
Because of the consistency and scope of the effort, the Project now holds more data on outcomes experienced by children and their families (265,000packets) than any other private collection in the country. Data collected by the Project remains the property of the participating agency. Raw data is kept secure and specific agency outcomes is kept confidential. While the Project has full-time staff and several consultants, its mission and vision is still driven by a Task Force comprised of participating agencies.
The Project collects data in service areas across the continuum of care for children and youth. Specifically, the Project reports on outcomes in:
We measure outcomes in distinct areas and time periods:
Clinical
Functional
Effectiveness of Placement
Risk and Protective Factors
DETAIL of OUTCOME MEASUREMENT
Child Problem Checklist
Family Risk Scales: Parent Centered Risk
Family Problem Checklist
Educational outcome
Educational status
Employment outcome
Absence of subsequent abuse of child
Absence of subsequent abuse in family
Absence of subsequent court involvement
Length of stay
Restrictiveness of Living Environment Scales
Achievement of primary or concurrent permanency plan
Nature of discharge
Demographics
Child-specific risk factors
Parent-specific risk
Total Risk Score
Child-specific protective factors
Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM)
North Carolina Family Assessment Scale (NCFAS)