Parent satisfaction with children’s mental health services in a children’s mental health managed care demonstration

Findings from a quasi-experiment that included the use of satisfaction scales to compare parent’s satisfaction with the services their children received through two different mental health care delivery systems suggest that parents whose children received services through an innovative continuum of care system reported significantly higher satisfaction with intake assessment and outpatient services than did parents who received care in a traditional fee-for-service system.

Abstract

This article presents findings from a quasi-experiment that included the use of satisfaction scales to compare parent's satisfaction with the services their children received through two different mental health care delivery systems. Satisfaction with the following three types of service were compared: (1) intake assessment during the admission process to any service setting, (2) outpatient services, and (3) residential treatment including inpatient hospitalization and residential treatment centers (RTCs). Additionally, satisfaction with several areas of care (e.g., access, treatment process, therapist relationship, parent and family services, discharge and transition planning), as well as global satisfaction, was assessed. In general, parents whose children received services through an innovative continuum of care system reported significantly higher satisfaction with intake assessment and outpatient services than did parents whose children received care in a traditional fee-for-service system. Fewer differences were found in satisfaction with residential services.