Short-term Therapy for Troubled Kids: An Evaluation of Intensive In-Home Services

As the trend moves toward intensive counseling and crisis intervention to troubled kids and their families schools, there is an increasing number of referrals from juvenile courts, and social service to providers of these services. Is it effective? The author conducts an evaluation of the intensive in-home services over a 10 year period to answer this question. The results are surprising and call into question as to if there is a better way. Professionals and laypeople alike will gain an understanding of the reasons behind the trend and perhaps reassess if alternatives are needed to more effectively treat the emotional and behavioral disturbances of at-risk kids and their families.