Overview






  The Study of Youth Treatment Environments (SYTE) focuses on issues important for youth mental health agencies, Program Managers, and clinicians, and the youths and families that they serve. We are particularly interested in learning how organizational factors in youth treatment environments and service coordination affect service quality and client outcomes. SYTE is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. 

   
   

As part of our assessments of youth mental health programs, we examine organizational culture and climate, and leadership. For example, we examine how factors such as emotional exhaustion, chances for growth and advancement, and supervisory leadership are related to clinician job satisfaction, service quality, and client outcomes. Particularly important for Program Managers, we are exploring how organizational factors are related to creating and sustaining an effective clinical and therapeutic organization.

SYTE partners include program managers and mental health workers from 55 programs throughout San Diego County. Our SYTE staff travel to programs to interview Program Managers and survey clinicians about their perceptions of the service system and also about the organizational issues that are important to them. We are meeting with our SYTE partners at baseline and again in 18 months in order to better understand how programs can change over time.

Once our data collection is complete, we will be able to provide our SYTE partners with more detailed feedback about ways to improve youth treatment environments, service quality, and client outcomes.