Magellan Reports First-Year Outcomes for Short-Term RTF Pilot
In collaboration with Lehigh and Northampton counties, Magellan is working with three local providers to pioneer community-based alternatives to traditional residential treatment for children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance. The Short-Term Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) model emphasizes community services and supports essential to the success of children and their families. Warwick House, Shawnee Academy and Children’s Home of Reading contributed to the design and development of the short-term residential model and are actively implementing the pilot.
The following are some of the 12-month outcomes for the pilot program:
- Twenty-three members have been admitted to the Short-Term RTF programs since May 2009. Sixteen members were from Lehigh County; seven were from Northampton County.
- Seventeen members were discharged from Short-Term RTF within the first 12 months of the pilot. The average length of stay for the members was 95 days. Although not all were successful within the model, the majority of members discharged were successfully transitioned to a lower level of care, and most of those returned to their homes with community-based mental health services.
- The most-utilized mental health treatment upon discharge was Family-Based Services (FBS), with nine of the 11 who returned home being referred for FBS.
- Short-Term RTF averaged 95 days in average length of stay (ALOS) -- an average of 171 days shorter than traditional RTF.
Magellan will continue to support the short-term model and plans to:
- Continue monthly data collection with Short-Term RTF providers.
- Expand the capacity and providers for Short-Term RTF: Silver Springs RTF will be submitting a program description to the Lehigh Valley CMC soon.
- Increase the number of admissions to Short-Term RTF and decrease the number of admissions to traditional RTF.