Pediatric chronic pain is complex, common, costly, and consequential. While many youth with persistent pain benefit from outpatient treatment, those with refractory pain often experience functional impairment requiring a more intensive approach. Such intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT) programs use a biopsychosocial framework to restore patient function and reduce pain-related disability, through a self-management approach. Studies of IIPT clinical effectiveness demonstrate significant decreases in pain, functional disability, and psychiatric symptoms at program completion and up to seven years after treatment. Still, not all patients benefit sufficiently from IIPT. As IIPT entails significant time and resources from patients, caregivers, providers, and institutions, there is a fundamental need to simultaneously optimize IIPT effectiveness and efficiency. This symposium will describe three innovative approaches to enhance IIPT engagement and outcomes by partnering with patients and families at various points in their IIPT experience: while preparing for IIPT, while engaging in IIPT, and while generalizing IIPT to the home setting. Each presenter will describe key aspects of the clinical application of their intervention as well as share research findings thus far, using mixed methods of data analysis. Discussion will include additional potential future directions for IIPT, with time for audience questions as well.