Presenter Information
Abigail Reith - Department of Engineering
Carley Reith - Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Lindsay Moskal - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Racheal Neilan Ph.D - Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Abstract
Caregivers who receive treatment for opioid addiction often face adverse post-discharge incidents involving Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) services. These incidents can be traumatic for the children involved, potentially leading to the removal of a child from their home. Nonprofit social service organizations like Auberle aim to minimize these adverse events by implementing frequent follow-ups with discharged caregivers and their families.
We collaborated with Auberle social services (Pittsburgh, PA) and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) to evaluate the effectiveness of standard follow-up times (7, 30, and 90 days post-discharge) in preventing CYF incident and to determine if implementing additional follow-ups may result in fewer CYF cases. Using data provided by the DHS, we constructed a mathematical function defining the probability that a CYF case will occur within one week of a follow-up. We then developed a stochastic algorithm to determine the optimal timing and impact of additional follow-ups.
Our results show that during the 90-day period where standard follow-up times were implemented, there were 43.3% fewer CYF cases than a 90-day period with no follow-ups. We found that if one additional follow-up is implemented, it should occur 160 days post-discharge and can reduce the total number of CYF cases by 9.3%. Alternatively, two additional follow-up times, occurring at 138 and 171 days post-discharge, can reduce the total number of CYF cases by 19.5%.
These findings can be used by Auberle to determine when their staff should follow-up with families discharged from the Family Healing Center, a new opioid treatment facility in the Mt. Oliver neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
School
Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences; McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts; Rangos School of Health Sciences
Advisor
Rachael Neilan Ph.D
Submission Type
Paper
Publication Date
April 2022
Included in
Analysis of Follow-up Times for Families Discharged from Opioid Addiction Treatment Facilities
Caregivers who receive treatment for opioid addiction often face adverse post-discharge incidents involving Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) services. These incidents can be traumatic for the children involved, potentially leading to the removal of a child from their home. Nonprofit social service organizations like Auberle aim to minimize these adverse events by implementing frequent follow-ups with discharged caregivers and their families.
We collaborated with Auberle social services (Pittsburgh, PA) and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) to evaluate the effectiveness of standard follow-up times (7, 30, and 90 days post-discharge) in preventing CYF incident and to determine if implementing additional follow-ups may result in fewer CYF cases. Using data provided by the DHS, we constructed a mathematical function defining the probability that a CYF case will occur within one week of a follow-up. We then developed a stochastic algorithm to determine the optimal timing and impact of additional follow-ups.
Our results show that during the 90-day period where standard follow-up times were implemented, there were 43.3% fewer CYF cases than a 90-day period with no follow-ups. We found that if one additional follow-up is implemented, it should occur 160 days post-discharge and can reduce the total number of CYF cases by 9.3%. Alternatively, two additional follow-up times, occurring at 138 and 171 days post-discharge, can reduce the total number of CYF cases by 19.5%.
These findings can be used by Auberle to determine when their staff should follow-up with families discharged from the Family Healing Center, a new opioid treatment facility in the Mt. Oliver neighborhood of Pittsburgh.