Impact of team structure on achieving treatment goals in a system of care

Although some evidence suggests that providing treatment via service coordination teams is related to improved outcomes among youth in a system of care, the aspects of team structure that contribute to treatment effectiveness are not well understood. This study draws on team membership and attendance data to identify and describe the structure of service coordination teams in the Dawn Project, a system-of-care initiative in Indianapolis, Indiana. This analysis examines three dimensions of team structure - size, form, and role composition - as well as the effect of these dimensions on the young people's program disposition. The results suggest that service coordination teams are most likely to be effective in achieving the team's treatment goals when they consist of four to eight members and include the youth and multiple family members. More generally, the findings underline the importance of considering team structure as an important force in shaping the effectiveness of service coordination programs and the potential utility of social network methods for studying these effects. The implications for management of service coordination teams and for future research on service coordination teams are discussed.