ABSTRACT

This paper presents an in-depth analysis of home visits as an effective strategy for engaging involuntary clients into treatment and making treatment more effective. More specifically, this study examines the effects that regularly planned home visits have upon engagement in and attitudes toward parenting training of protective service clients. The home visits not only produced high attendance rates and low dropout rates but caused the participants to be more favorably disposed toward learning the knowledge and skills taught in the parenting program. Because of the home visits, participants were more engaged in the treatment program and were, consequently, better able to benefit.