Office of Children and Family Services

Staff Study: Short Term Residential Programs (Follow-Up Review)

The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) operates and maintains several facilities for the custody and treatment of troubled young people placed in its care by the courts. In 1992, OCFS established two short-term residential programs for these young people: a six-month residential program using military protocols and a four-month residential program based on wilderness training. In our prior report 2001-D-5 , we examined the effectiveness of these programs and found that both programs had the potential to reduce recidivism and operate at a lower cost than traditional treatment programs. However, we also noted that improvements were needed in the aftercare counseling services provided by both programs, as the number of contacts made by counselors after the young people completed the programs and re-entered their communities often did not meet the standards established by OCFS. In our follow-up review, we found that OCFS officials had taken action to address the issues raised in our prior report.

For a complete copy of Report 2002-F-43 click here.