Residential treatment for troubled adolescents continues to generate controversy. Youth may improve during treatment, but are these gains sustained upon return to the community? The authors explore this question by analyzing outcome data collected at 3 months and 1 year post-discharge for 49 adolescent girls discharged from long-term programs at a residential treatment center in Massachusetts. Qualitative data reveals the range of post-discharge challenges experienced by adolescents and their families. Quantitative data shows a 77 percent reduction in restrictive level of care placements comparing the year before admission to the year after discharge (p less than .001). This success rate suggests that improvements accomplished during long-term residential treatment are sustained by a majority of adolescent girls up to at least 1 year post-discharge. The authors will also discuss the process they used to collect outcome data and its impact on the agency staff and clientele. (Published Abstract)