Measuring Quality in Residential Treatment for Children and Youth.

As residential programs face increasing accountability, measuring performance takes on added importance. This paper presents several frameworks for understanding what quality is and how it can be measured in a residential treatment setting. To assess performance, quality indicators and standards must be created. Two contributions to measuring program quality are presented and reviewed. Recommendations are made regarding future directions in developing quality measures. Research advancements in measuring performance must be guided by practitioners and other stakeholders. Research-practice collaborations will be pivotal in moving quality residential care forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]