Equation | (# children receiving treatment) x (Q: Avoided out of home placements due to the intervention) x ($ benefits from avoided out of home placement) |
Explanation | This metric estimates the impact of Multisystemic Therapy for children and families leading to reduced out-of-home placement and subsequent reductions in costs to children associated with out-of-home placement. Number of children receiving treatment: Reported by program. Q: Avoided out-of-home placements due to the intervention: [0.134]. This is estimated by Constellation staff using the following formula: In this formula, ES is the effect size from a meta-analysis of Multisystemic Therapy programs on out of home placements [-0.226] (WSIPP, 2017). The base percentage is the assumed counterfactual rate of observed child abuse [9%] based on an incidence rate of 3% reported by the MN Department of Human Services (2018) and adjusted for by a factor of 3. Benefit from reduced out of home placement: [$350,000]. This estimate of the value of preventing child abuse (in terms of lost QALYs) is based on the findings of Peterson, et al (2015). These benefits are already discounted to present value. |
References | Minnesota Department of Human Services (2018). Child protection in Minnesota: Keeping children safe. DHS-4735-ENG. Retrieved from https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-4735-ENG. Peterson, C., Florence, C., & Klevens, J. (2018). The economic burden of child maltreatment in the United States, 2015. Child Abuse and Neglect, 86, 178–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.09.018 Swenson, C.C., et al. (2010). Multisystemic Therapy for child abuse and neglect: A randomized effectiveness trial. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(4), 497-507. Washington State Institute for Public Policy, WSIPP (2017). Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for child abuse and neglect. Retrieved from http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/BenefitCost/Program/266 |