Characterization of the program and residents in a highly secure residential treatment center /
In an effort to better understand the totality of a child's experience in a residential treatment center, this study examined the placement process and the program of the New Life Children's Residential Treatment Center. In addition, brief case histories of six of the residents were prese...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1996.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=739653181&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | In an effort to better understand the totality of a child's experience in a residential treatment center, this study examined the placement process and the program of the New Life Children's Residential Treatment Center. In addition, brief case histories of six of the residents were presented along with the results on two behavioral checklists, the Carlson Psychological Survey and the Jesness Behavioral Checklist, which were completed by four of the residents. The New Life Children's Residential Treatment Center, located in Canyon Lake, Texas, is home to thirty-six emotionally disturbed females, ages eleven to eighteen. The center's program approach is based on a behavioral model in which a behavior is either reinforced or discouraged. The staff believe that in order to treat the children, their inappropriate behaviors must be changed. New Life monitors the children's behaviors on a daily basis through the use of a checklist, and has set up a system of structures to provide rewards and punishments. The study describes the administering bodies which govern the New Life program, as well as staff characteristics and physical site. The variety of ways a resident may be recommended to the New Life program, such as through the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, the school system, the juvenile justice system, and private recommendations, were explored. An in-depth look at the policies and procedures under which New Life operates depicts the manner in which the girls live, what is expected of them, and the consequences for unacceptable behavior. Six case studies describe the girls, journeys through a number of services before being placed in New Life and the treatment they were receiving at the time of the study. The Carlson Psychological Survey and the Jesness Behavioral Checklist were used to provide a better understanding of the characteristics of the girls placed in the center, and two group interviews with four of the girls were conducted to discover how they felt about their experience at New Life. The study concluded with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the New Life program and out-of-home placements. Suggestions for further areas of research followed. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Educational Psychology". |
| Physical Description: | x, 221 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilms Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references: pages 209-220. |