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Exit Instruments Study for Reunifying Families
The National Family Preservation Network (NFPN) generally conducts one research study each year. This year the study will involve exit instruments.
- more families that dropped out of reunification services vs. preservation services,
- fewer reunifications achieved than intact families preserved, and
- more reunifying families with problems in functioning at case closure than families receiving preservation services.
In 2011, an agency inquired as to whether parents could complete the same assessment tool as workers in reunification cases. Because the assessment tools are designed only for workers to complete, NFPN began exploring other avenues that would allow for input from parents. That resulted in the development of an exit instrument for parents to complete that can be compared to the responses of the worker on a separate exit instrument. In turn, both exit instruments are linked to the rating definitions of the assessment tools for reunification (NCFAS-R or NCFAS-G+R).
NFPN, in association with Dr. Ray Kirk, has undertaken this study to explore the contribution of engagement, assessment, and intensive services, among other things, to successfully and safely keeping families together.
What are Exit Instruments?
Most of the literature on exit instruments--usually categorized as satisfaction surveys--is from the medical field. These surveys appear to have a limited effect on health professionals' practice. A study of the role and use of satisfaction surveys in mental health services found that reliability and validity are seldom considered and there is too little research to establish comparisons within or between programs. By contrast, NFPN's reunification study connects the questions in the exit instruments to the reliable and valid assessment tools. Four programs in various geographical locations in the U.S. are participating, which allows for generalizing findings.
- for reunification workers when families complete services
- for parents when families complete services
- for reunification workers when families discontinue services
- for parents when families discontinue services
This is the first known research that links reliable and valid assessment instruments with exit instruments for both workers and parents.
Exit Instruments Study with Intact Families—You Can Participate!
The exit instruments for intact families are essentially the same design as for reunifying families. For families that complete services the data will include opening/closing ratings on the NCFAS-G and the worker and parent exit surveys. For families that do not complete services the data will include opening ratings on the NCFAS-G and a shorter exit survey for the worker and parents.
Because NFPN does not have a funding source for the study of intact families, participating agencies are asked to pay a fee to help cover the costs of the data analysis and research report. The exit instruments may currently be used only in conjunction with the research study. For all agencies that complete the study and provide the data, NFPN will issue a license for ongoing use of the copyrighted exit instruments.