Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Stickle, Timothy

Abstract

The current study examines the relationship between service utilization and child outcomes, and the role fidelity to the principles of the wraparound care coordination process plays in mediating that relationship. One hundred and twenty-one participants at three separate Children’s Mental Health Services (CMHS)-funded Systems of Care national evaluation sites in three states were administered the Wraparound Fidelity Index (WFI), designed to measure adherence to the principles of wraparound; child outcomes measures, including the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS); and the Multi-Sector Service Contact Questionnaire (MSSC), designed to assess services received. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression and linear mixed models in order to examine the mediational role fidelity plays at two levels, children and wraparound facilitators, and at three different time points, baseline, six-month follow-up, and twelve-month follow-up. No statistically significant relationships were found between wraparound fidelity and child outcomes at six-month follow-up. Also, at six-month follow-up, the level of services the child and family received significantly predicted child outcomes related to externalizing symptoms but not to internalizing symptoms or functional impairment; however, this relationship was not mediated by fidelity to the wraparound process. From baseline to six-month follow-up and twelve-month follow-up, no statistically significant relationships were found between wraparound fidelity and child outcomes across wraparound facilitators. Also, no statistically significant relationships were found between the level of services the child and family received and child outcomes. A mediation model from baseline to six-month follow-up and twelve-month follow-up was not viable due to the null findings. Exploratory analyses were conducted. Implications of these findings and directions for future studies are discussed.

Download

Share

COinS