A Pilot Evaluation of the Rapid Response Program: A Home Based Family Therapy.

A pilot evaluation study of the implementation of the Rapid Response Program, a program utilizing the ecosystemic structural family therapy model, in a rural area of Pennsylvania was conducted. This approach was implemented in children's mental health to supplant a costly model of care that had not proven to break the cycle of dependency for children with severe behavioral problems and their families. Initial results show that the Rapid Response Program appears to improve problematic family patterns and children's behavioral problems. The study results are limited by small sample size; however, the outcomes suggest that the program warrants further study using a more rigorous research design with a larger sample.