Outcome Measures

Organizations implementing BSFT are encouraged to gather common outcome measures as well as any locally-relevant or required data. Three easy-to-use measures include:

McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD) Epstein, N. B., Baldwin, L. M., & Bishop, D. S. (1983). The McMaster Family Assessment Device. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 9, 171-180. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119547472/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
Youth Self Report (Achenbach) http://www.aseba.org/products/ysr.html
Parenting Practices Questionnaire. Lamborn, S.D., Mounts, N.S., Steinberg, L. & Dornbusch, S.M (1991). published in Child Development, 62, 1049-1065.] http://faculty.fullerton.edu/lhobson/parenting.htm

Youth Self Report - This instrument is an adolescent self-repot instrument that assesses the severity of 119 problem behavior and degree of functioning on three dimensions of Social Competence. Problem behaviors can be scored along the dimensions of the super-ordinate domains of "internalizing" and "externalizing" behaviors or along smaller syndromes of behavior.

McMaster FAD - is designed to evaluate families according to the McMaster Model of Family Functioning. The FAD is made up of seven scales which measure Problem Solving, Communication, Roles, Affective Responsiveness, Affective Involvement, Behavior Control and General Functioning.

Parenting Practices Questionnaire - Focuses primarily on instruments that concern whole family functioning or the functioning of multiple family relationships. Greatly assist clinicians, researchers, students, and other family scholars in the selection of appropriate measures for research questions or for clinical screening, diagnosis, and treatment evaluation.

There are a number of instruments which can be recommended, but they should be considered in light of an agency's interests and reporting requirements. Here are a few for consideration:

Structural Family Systems Rating. Hervis, O.E., Szapocznik, J., Mitrani, V., Rio, A. & Kurtines, W. (1998). Structural Family Systems Ratings Scale. In J. Touliatos (Ed.) Handbook of Family Measurement Techniques (2^nd edition), New York: Microfiche Publications
Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (Quay and Peterson). There are parent, child, and teacher forms. It also has a validated Spanish form.
DISC (Diagnostic Interview for Children) Predictive Scales. This measure is used at baseline to identify the presence or absence of 13 comorbid disorders. DISC has both youth and parent forms. This could be used Pre/Post.
Brief Symptoms Inventory. This measure is a self-report scale developed from its parent instrument the Symptom Checklist 90 to assess psychological problems.
National Youth Survey. This self-report delinquency scale assesses adolescent criminal behavior on 5 subscales.
Pittsburgh Youth Survey. This measure assesses parenting practices through both parent and adolescent report.
Family Environment Scale. This is used to measure the social-environmental characteristics of families.