Development and Validation of a Level-of-Care Instrument for Predicting Residential Placement

A level-of-care instrument developed in Missouri uses discniminant analysis anda criterion measure based on the state's continuum of community residential facilities to assess psychiatric patients' abilities and-deficits and to match individual patients with a suitable community setting. The instrument assigned 57 percent of the patients in the sample used in development of the instrument and 43 percent in a validation sample to the same type of residential facility recommended by case managens. The instrument more accurately predicted placement than two instruments that were used-earlier in the state and were not based on its specific array of facilities.