METHOD FOR OBTAINING FOLLOWUP OUTCOME DATA (FROM RESOURCE MATERIALS FOR COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM EVALUATION - 2ND ED, 1977, BY WILLIAM A HARGREAVES - SEE NCJ-50680)

• NCJ Number: 50687
• Author(s): J REIHMAN; J A CIARLO; W A HARGREAVES
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 4 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE DENVER COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE PROVIDES A DIRECT AND EFFICIENT MEASURE OF OUTCOME FOR CLIENTS SERVED AT THE DENVER GENERAL HOSPITAL COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER.

Abstract

THE INSTRUMENT WAS DESIGNED TO ACCESS OUTCOME FOR CLIENTS BETWEEN 18 AND 65 YEARS OF AGE THROUGH FOLLOWUP CONTACT AND WAS ADMINISTERED SUCCESSFULLY TO CLIENTS FROM A VARIETY OF SOCIOECONOMIC AND ETHNIC GROUPS. INTERVIEWS ARE CARRIED OUT IN CLIENT HOMES, AND THE CONDITION OF SUCCESSIVE SAMPLES OF CLIENTS IS ASSESSED 90 DAYS AFTER THEIR ADMISSION TO A SERVING ELEMENT IN THE MENTAL HEALTH CENTER. INTERVIEWS ARE CONDUCTED BY A TEAM OF TRAINED FOLLOWUP INTERVIEWERS, WHO WERE TAUGHT METHODS OF INTERVIEWING THROUGH ROLE-PLAYING TECHNIQUES. AN INTAKE FORM IS COMPLETED ON EVERY CLIENT AT THE TIME OF INITIAL CONTACT WITH A SERVING ELEMENT. THE INTAKE FORM INCLUDES INFORMATION CONCERNING PERTINENT DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES, AS WELL AS RELEVANT DIAGNOSTIC AND DISPOSITION INFORMATION. ON A MONTHLY BASIS, A SAMPLE OF CLIENTS IS SELECTED FOR FOLLOWUP AND STRATIFIED BY MAJOR PROBLEM CATEGORY CODED AT INTAKE. RAW SCORES ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE SCALES ARE CONVERTED INTO COMMUNITY STANDARD SCORES. USING THE FOLLOWUP TECHNIQUE, IT HAS BEEN POSSIBLE TO MONITOR CLIENT OUTCOMES FOR MAJOR PROBLEM CATEGORIES. THE RATE OF SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED FOLLOWUP INTERVIEWS HAS AVERAGED 56 PERCENT FOR THE SAMPLE DRAWN. THE UTILITY OF FOLLOWUP EVALUATION IS DISCUSSED. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)