THE IMPACT OF SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS ON FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES FROM COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR PERSONS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA - A GROWTH CURVE ANALYSIS

A total of 172 individuals diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum dis order were followed for 36 months in 3 distinct models of community-ba sed care. Functional outcome data gathered every 6 months were combine d with service implementation data to test hypotheses concerning the i mpact of service characteristics on prospective client outcomes. The r esults using hierarchical linear modeling supported associations betwe en the intensity, specificity, and longitudinality of services and imp roved client outcomes. Specifically, more intense services were associ ated with higher levels or rates of improvement on all indices of clin ical and psychosocial functioning. The specificity results suggested t hat services needed to be targeted to specific areas of functioning in order for improvement to occur. The effect of longitudinality was con tingent on the outcome domain examined.