Alternative Behavioral Services

ABS Outcomes
Results are compiled by members of Alternative Behavioral Services

ABS has a reputation for providing quality care and treatment for children, adolescents and adults; and in order to maintain that reputation, we must understand how we are performing so that we can achieve consistently better results for those we serve. Our Outcome and Measurement Department is responsible for designing data collection instruments, data management and defining and distributing outcome results. Sharing our outcome measures with you demonstrates our efforts to continually re-examine our practices in order to provide the best possible behavioral health treatment and services.

Assessments and outcomes are important components of behavioral health practices because they:

Eliminate poor/unnecessary practices,
Promote good practices,
Increase accountability,
Evaluate services,
Help develop new services and programs, and
Help set, monitor and improve standards of care.

ABS outcomes will show you just how Accountability Builds Success!

2005 Highlights for Acute Care Facilities
Our acute care facilities provide comprehensive services for inpatients and outpatients. We provide services to patients with a wide range of issues, from substance abuse to psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia. Treatment programs and specialty services vary at each facility; some of these include a substance abuse/dual diagnosis unit, 24-hour mental health crisis and referral line, partial hospitalization, and mobile assessment and intervention services. Acute stabilization meets the patient’s clinical needs while reducing costs and decreasing his/her length of stay. Our programs and services allow the patient to quickly and successfully return to his/her family and community. ABS acute care facilities offer a safe and therapeutic environment with treatment options to stabilize patients and promote long-term healing.

Our acute care services are available at:

The following charts illustrate the successful symptom reduction achieved by patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, mania/bipolar disorder and schizophrenia disorder at our Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center and Panamericano acute care facilities. These measures were achieved by comparing changes in symptoms from admission to discharge.

ABS LINCS facilities sent data to PsychSentinel—a Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) approved vendor for outcome reporting. The ABS LINCS comparison group consists of similar acute care and residential treatment programs that have chosen the reported measures to meet their ORYX requirements and that also use PsychSentinel as their approved outcome reporting vendor.

ABS average symptom reduction rate was 9 points higher than the rate for the JCAHO comparison group. This measure is based upon reduction of behaviors such as making careless mistakes, poor attention, not listening when spoken to directly, being easily distracted by extraneous stimuli and/or impulsivity in risk-related activities.

ABS average symptom reduction rate was 2 points higher than the rate for the JCAHO comparison group. This measure is based upon reduction of behaviors such as decreased interest/pleasure in activities, problems with appetite/weight change, significant sleep disturbance, poor concentration, panic attacks and/or feelings of worthlessness or guilt.

ABS average symptom reduction rate was 2 points higher than the rate for the JCAHO comparison group. This measure is based upon reduction of behaviors such as grandiose/inflated self-esteem, flight of ideas, racing thoughts, distractibility, impairment in social activities, delusions, hallucinations and/or excessive high risk pleasurable activities.

Symptom Reduction for Schizophrenia Disorder

ABS average symptom reduction rate was 12 points higher than the rate for the JCAHO comparison group. This measure is based upon reduction of behaviors such as delusions, hallucinations, incoherence, impairment of daily functioning, isolation/withdrawal, marked paranoia, lack of initiative/energy, and odd beliefs/magical thinking.

2005 Highlights for Residential Treatment Post-Discharge

Our residential treatment programs help children and adolescents with a variety of emotional, behavioral and psychological issues, including sexual offending with psychiatric diagnosis, assaultive behaviors, and developmental disabilities. Our programs reverse self-defeating behavioral patterns and strengthen self-esteem through individual, group, family, vocational, and recreational counseling. ABS residential treatment programs provide a high level of care for our residents who are in need of a highly structured setting.

The following measures are based upon data collected from The Pines Residential Treatment Center in Virginia.

Clients with Legal Involvement at Admission and Post-Discharge discharged from 2003-2005
One measure of a program’s success is how former residents are able to successfully reintegrate into the community. As indicated below, residents with criminal offenses in our residential treatment facilities have a low rate of recidivism. More than half of our residential clients discharged from 2003 through 2005 had some legal involvement prior to admission. However, one year after discharge the incidents of legal involvement were down by 44%.

Post-Discharge Use of Alcohol or Drugs
85% of ABS residential clients did not use alcohol or drugs 6 months after discharge.

Post-Discharge Charges for Sexual Offenses
Our residential sexual offending programming strives to use all available techniques, which have shown sufficient utility, to assist adolescents in reducing their risk to the community and becoming productive young adults.

Of the clients discharged from the Behavioral Studies Program for Boys and the Behavioral Studies Program Girls, 99% had no charges or convictions for sexual offenses 12 months after discharge and 83% had exhibited no inappropriate sexual behavior.

Education Achievement Scores

Education is a significant aspect of our residential treatment programs. The goals of our residential education programs are to:

The Pines Residential Treatment Center has an accredited school that provides regular and special education services that give residents additional tools for academic success.

Students in ABS residential programs significantly improved in the core areas of reading and math as illustrated by their achievement test scores from 1998-2004.

For residents admitted in 2004, 80% had improved reading scores, 40% had improved math scores and 40% improved in both areas.


Crawford First Education \| FHC Chattanooga \| FHC Cumberland Hall - Hopkinsville \| First Home Care Panamericano \| The Pines Residential Treatment Center \| Palmetto Pines Behavioral Health Center Charleston The Pines Residential Treatment Center Midlands \| Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center \| Virgin Islands Behavioral Services
	ABS Outcomes Results are compiled by members of Alternative Behavioral Services ABS has a reputation for providing quality care and treatment for children, adolescents and adults; and in order to maintain that reputation, we must understand how we are performing so that we can achieve consistently better results for those we serve. Our Outcome and Measurement Department is responsible for designing data collection instruments, data management and defining and distributing outcome results. Sharing our outcome measures with you demonstrates our efforts to continually re-examine our practices in order to provide the best possible behavioral health treatment and services. Assessments and outcomes are important components of behavioral health practices because they: Eliminate poor/unnecessary practices, Promote good practices, Increase accountability, Evaluate services, Help develop new services and programs, and Help set, monitor and improve standards of care. ABS outcomes will show you just how Accountability Builds Success! 2005 Highlights for Acute Care Facilities Our acute care facilities provide comprehensive services for inpatients and outpatients. We provide services to patients with a wide range of issues, from substance abuse to psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia. Treatment programs and specialty services vary at each facility; some of these include a substance abuse/dual diagnosis unit, 24-hour mental health crisis and referral line, partial hospitalization, and mobile assessment and intervention services. Acute stabilization meets the patient’s clinical needs while reducing costs and decreasing his/her length of stay. Our programs and services allow the patient to quickly and successfully return to his/her family and community. ABS acute care facilities offer a safe and therapeutic environment with treatment options to stabilize patients and promote long-term healing. Our acute care services are available at: Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center in Virginia Panamericano in Puerto Rico FHC Hopkinsville in Kentucky FHC Chattanooga in Tennessee The following charts illustrate the successful symptom reduction achieved by patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, mania/bipolar disorder and schizophrenia disorder at our Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center and Panamericano acute care facilities. These measures were achieved by comparing changes in symptoms from admission to discharge. ABS LINCS facilities sent data to PsychSentinel—a Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) approved vendor for outcome reporting. The ABS LINCS comparison group consists of similar acute care and residential treatment programs that have chosen the reported measures to meet their ORYX requirements and that also use PsychSentinel as their approved outcome reporting vendor. Symptom Reduction for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ABS average symptom reduction rate was 9 points higher than the rate for the JCAHO comparison group. This measure is based upon reduction of behaviors such as making careless mistakes, poor attention, not listening when spoken to directly, being easily distracted by extraneous stimuli and/or impulsivity in risk-related activities. Symptom Reduction for Depression ABS average symptom reduction rate was 2 points higher than the rate for the JCAHO comparison group. This measure is based upon reduction of behaviors such as decreased interest/pleasure in activities, problems with appetite/weight change, significant sleep disturbance, poor concentration, panic attacks and/or feelings of worthlessness or guilt. Symptom Reduction for Mania-Bipolar Disorder ABS average symptom reduction rate was 2 points higher than the rate for the JCAHO comparison group. This measure is based upon reduction of behaviors such as grandiose/inflated self-esteem, flight of ideas, racing thoughts, distractibility, impairment in social activities, delusions, hallucinations and/or excessive high risk pleasurable activities. Symptom Reduction for Schizophrenia Disorder ABS average symptom reduction rate was 12 points higher than the rate for the JCAHO comparison group. This measure is based upon reduction of behaviors such as delusions, hallucinations, incoherence, impairment of daily functioning, isolation/withdrawal, marked paranoia, lack of initiative/energy, and odd beliefs/magical thinking. 2005 Highlights for Residential Treatment Post-Discharge Our residential treatment programs help children and adolescents with a variety of emotional, behavioral and psychological issues, including sexual offending with psychiatric diagnosis, assaultive behaviors, and developmental disabilities. Our programs reverse self-defeating behavioral patterns and strengthen self-esteem through individual, group, family, vocational, and recreational counseling. ABS residential treatment programs provide a high level of care for our residents who are in need of a highly structured setting. Our residential treatment programs are available at: The Pines Residential Treatment Center in Virginia The Pines Residential Treatment Center Charleston in South Carolina The Pines Residential Treatment Center Midlands in South Carolina The following measures are based upon data collected from The Pines Residential Treatment Center in Virginia. Clients with Legal Involvement at Admission and Post-Discharge discharged from 2003-2005 One measure of a program’s success is how former residents are able to successfully reintegrate into the community. As indicated below, residents with criminal offenses in our residential treatment facilities have a low rate of recidivism. More than half of our residential clients discharged from 2003 through 2005 had some legal involvement prior to admission. However, one year after discharge the incidents of legal involvement were down by 44%. Post-Discharge Use of Alcohol or Drugs 85% of ABS residential clients did not use alcohol or drugs 6 months after discharge. Post-Discharge Charges for Sexual Offenses Our residential sexual offending programming strives to use all available techniques, which have shown sufficient utility, to assist adolescents in reducing their risk to the community and becoming productive young adults. Of the clients discharged from the Behavioral Studies Program for Boys and the Behavioral Studies Program Girls, 99% had no charges or convictions for sexual offenses 12 months after discharge and 83% had exhibited no inappropriate sexual behavior. Education Achievement Scores Education is a significant aspect of our residential treatment programs. The goals of our residential education programs are to: Provide individualized educational services, which address the resident's cognitive and emotional needs Provide a continuum of services from and to local education agencies, and Assist local education agencies in the development of programs for residents upon return to their home school and community. The Pines Residential Treatment Center has an accredited school that provides regular and special education services that give residents additional tools for academic success. Students in ABS residential programs significantly improved in the core areas of reading and math as illustrated by their achievement test scores from 1998-2004. For residents admitted in 2004, 80% had improved reading scores, 40% had improved math scores and 40% improved in both areas.
825 Crawford Pkwy, Portsmouth, VA 23704 Admissions: 1-877-227-7000 - Admission Fax: 1-877-846-6237 - Careers: 1-877-769-8939 - www.absfirst.com
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