title: Needs assessment of community-based services for children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders and their families: Part 1. A conceptual model.
abstract: Communities throughout the nation are attempting to develop comprehensive systems of community-based, interagency care for children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders and their families. Needs assessment has been identified as a key component of these initiatives. A needs assessment provides system planners with the data needed to make informed decisions with regard to improving the current system of care. In this first of a two-article series, an overview is presented of a model needs assessment designed for implementation by an interagency coalition interested in developing a comprehensive system of community-based services for children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders and their families. Major components of the model include foundations for needs assessment, data collection, and data utilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb 60115, USA.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cumblad
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holderness
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005192:Family Health; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017146:Models, Organizational; D016730:Program Development; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology