Social Work Commons^™

The Mentor's Guide To Youth Purpose: The Art Of Helping A Young Person Find Meaning, A Sense Of Self, And Ways Of Giving Back To Their World, Meghan Perry

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

We can all benefit from purpose— an intention that supports our engagement in activities, causes, or contributions that invigorate us, get us planning ahead, and thinking beyond ourselves. Some people experience a plethora of purpose—a mindset that reinforces their engagement in a range of meaningful experiences while contributing to others— while many others have never, or only occasionally, identified or experienced opportunities to explore purpose. Wherever you happen to be on this spectrum, you found your way to this resource because you care about young people. And as a caring adult, you can tend to both individual and communal wellness …

Focal Point, Volume 32, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This issue of Focal Point includes a series of research summaries that reflect the state of the science and project descriptions focused on the theme of community integration for youth and young adults who experience serious mental health conditions. Space in Focal Point is limited, and this has meant that we are only able to include short versions of each of these articles. However, more detailed versions of most of the articles – including extensive reference lists – are available on the Pathways RTC website. We encourage you to take a look at these longer versions for further detail and …

The Integration Of Early Psychosis Services In A System Of Care Framework: Opportunities, Issues, Tamara G. Sale, Patrice Fetzer, Jennifer Humensky, Megan Baker, Kate Hardy, Douglas Noordsy, Steven Adelsheim

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since the beginning of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Children’s Mental Health Initiative in 1993, the system of care (SOC) framework has provided the foundation for community- based service development in the United States and has focused on improving the lives of children, youth, and young adults who experience the most complex mental health needs and their families. In recent years, with greater understanding of early psychosis, the SOC framework has expanded to include young adults presenting with signs of early psychosis.

The SOC approach brings children, youth, and young adults with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED)1 and …

Housing And Transition: Meeting The Needs Of Young Adults With Mental Health Conditions, Barbara J. Friesen, Nancy Koroloff

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report addresses challenges faced by transition-age youth and young adults with mental health conditions as they try to find and maintain stable housing. This document was written specifically for program designers, administrators, and policy-makers, and others who are planning to develop or modify housing supports that are available to young adults. It may also be of interest to advocates and young people working to improve housing policy and program options for young people. The document is grounded in two critical considerations: 1) the current political and economic conditions that affect the availability of affordable housing also restrict the availability …

Supporting College Student Success Through Connections To Mentors And Campus Champions, Rebecca Miller, Jennifer E. Blakeslee, B. Hope

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This brief shares best practices learned on the Project Futures research study being conducted at Portland State University and local community colleges in Portland, Oregon. The study is testing evidence-based mentoring strategies for underserved students, in this case college freshmen with lived experience in foster care and with mental health stressors. Campus-based mentoring is an increasingly popular strategy to better support under-represented students, who in addition to navigating the typical challenges of college life, may face additional barriers to student success, such as:

• Homelessness or housing instability and/or financial insecurity with no safety net,
• Mental health and trauma,
• Starting college …

Transition Mental Health Service Provider Core Competencies, Pauline Jivanjee, Eileen Brennan, Leigh Grover, Claudia Sellmaier, Eliz Roser

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

From 2010 through 2012, the Pathways Transition Training Collaborative (PTTC) worked collaboratively to identify core competencies for service providers working in mental health services with young adults of transition age. Since then, the Pathways Transition Training Partnership (PTTP) has collaborated with partners to update and clarify the core competencies. Competencies include the values, attitudes, knowledge, and skills needed to engage youth and young adults and provide effective services and supports to young people and families. Each of the 15 core competencies is defined, followed by the attitudes, knowledge and skills needed to demonstrate it, and an example of the competency …

The Role Of Youth-Run Organizations In Improving Services And Systems For Youth And Young Adults: A Commentary On The State Of The Science, Brie Masselli, Johanna Bergan

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The authors of this commentary are part of the leadership team of Youth MOVE National (YMN), a youth-run, chapter-membership organization focused on improving services and systems for youth and young adults by uniting the voices of individuals who have lived experience within those systems. Their perspective on priorities for future research reflects their appreciation of formal research literature, and is complemented by what they have learned through their work with YMN's extensive chapter network, through partnering with service systems and agencies around the nation, and through connecting with young people around the country.

Understanding Neurobiology Of Psychological Trauma; Tips For Working With Transition-Age Youth, Julie M. Rosenzweig, Pauline Jivanjee, Eileen Brennan, Leigh Grover, Anthony Abshire

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This tip sheet introduces service providers to scientifically-informed findings about brain development and trauma specific to young adults and the implications for trauma-informed interventions and trauma-informed engagement of young people in services.

The Conundrum Of Youth Unemployment, Harpreet Gill

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

This commentary explores issues surrounding youth employment in Toronto from the point of view of a social worker with the Youth Job Connection program. The author highlights issues with the program and the need for reform—from within both government and communities— by drawing on her personal experiences with a typical client.

Focal Point, Volume 31, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

Research demonstrates that the prevalence of mental health conditions among justice system involved youth is alarmingly high, coupled with a strong likelihood of multiple traumatic exposures. Unfortunately, while the need for appropriate and timely treatment is acute, the juvenile justice system seems challenged in meeting it. The authors of this issue of Focal Point identify and propose solutions to these challenges with new research findings.

What Is Peer Support And What Is Not Peer Support?, Mary Beth Welch, Caitlin Baird, Celeste L. Seibel

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This publication provides clarity around the primary functions of the young adult peer support role, and addresses the common misconceptions of young adult peer work.

Changing The Rules: A Guide For Youth And Young Adults With Mental Health Conditions Who Want To Change Policy, Nancy Koroloff, Barbara J. Friesen, Nicholas Buekea

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This guide provides information about policy and policy change in mental health and other human services for young adult groups who want to be

directly involved in policy change activities. Some of the many ways that young people can be involved in policy work include serving on advisory committees that consider areas where policy change is needed, participating on groups convened to review contract language about youth-related issues or serving on groups charged with developing rules and regulations to support recent policy change. A number of manuals or handbooks address these important roles, although few of them are specifically focused …

Predicting Positive Education Outcomes For Emerging Adults In Mental Health Systems Of Care, Eileen M. Brennan, Peggy Nygren, Robert L. Stephens, Adrienne Croskey

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Emerging adults who receive services based on positive youth development models have shown an ability to shape their own life course to achieve positive goals. This paper reports secondary data analysis from the Longitudinal Child and Family Outcome Study including 248 culturally-diverse youth ages 17 through 22 receiving mental health services in systems of care. After 12 months of services, school performance was positively related to youth ratings of school functioning, and service participation and satisfaction. Regression analysis revealed ratings of young peoples’ perceptions of school functioning and their experience in services added to the significant prediction of satisfactory school …

An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Long-Term Mentoring Relationships From The Youth Perspective, Kevin Richard Jones

Dissertations and Theses

When mentoring programs are well-designed and well-implemented, young people can experience positive gains in a number of social, emotional, behavioral, and educational areas. While some of the processes underlying mentoring relationships have been explored, the voices and perspectives of participants themselves have thus far been largely excluded from the mentoring literature. The lack of participant voice in mentoring research suggests that an important source of empirical and interpretive information is unavailable to the field in the process of designing, implementing, and researching mentoring programs. This study used interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore how youth participants in the Friends of …

Focal Point, Volume 30, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This issue explores early psychosis intervention services. Throughout history psychosis has traumatized and permanently disrupted people's lives, but early psychosis intervention is showing that much of this trauma and disability can be prevented. Early psychosis intervention services are rapidly becoming available in every state of the US, and thousands of people who have lived through psychosis are speaking out and proving that we have every reason for hope.

Building Community Supports For Young People In The Transition Years: A Tip Sheet For Service Providers, Pauline Jivanjee, Eileen Brennan, Maria Carolina Gonzalez-Prats, Pathways Transition Training Partnership

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social support is vital for the well-being of children and adults of all ages. Social support includes information, advice, or practical help from others that has positive effects on the young people receiving it (Munson et al., 2015). Since formal support ends when a young person transitions out of services, providers can assist young people to strengthen their existing informal supports and/or to connect them with other supports.

Social support is particularly valuable during times of difficulty or stress. Support from family members, friends, romantic partners, neighbors, mentors, and other community members may be given during a single event or …

Helping Young Adults From Foster Care Succeed In College, Heidi Feight, Breanna Bell, Ashley Conway, Shannon Turner, Neal Naigus, Laurie E. Powers

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

A major barrier experienced my many youth and young adults from foster care is life instability associated with living in multiple foster homes and changing schools, all of which requires repeatedly adjusting to new environments and expectations. This instability can hinder development, learning in high school, and higher education engagement and academic success. Additionally, many young adults from foster care do not have consistent adult support in their lives, which can make succeeding at college even more difficult.

Advice To Young Adults From Young Adults: Helpful Hints For Policy Change In The Mental Health System, Nancy Koroloff, Barbara J. Friesen, Nicholas Buekea

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This tip sheet is designed for use by youth and young adult led organizations that include young people with lived experience in the mental health system in their membership. Organizations that have a history of working together collectively, have clear leadership roles and are ready to move into policy change are most likely to find these tips useful. The recommendations and the quotes contained in this tip sheet came from a series of interviews with young adult leaders from advocacy groups that focus on mental health challenges or living in foster care. Each organization was selected because of its work …

Focal Point, Volume 29, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This issue of Focal Point focuses on trauma–informed care and its growing relevance in research, official policy, practice methods, and organizational structure.

Keep Your Head In The Game: Fosterclub And The Better Futures Project At Portland State University, Lee Ann Phillips, Isha Charlie‐Mccneeley, Timothy Bell, Celeste Bodner, Laurie E. Powers, Sarah Geenen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This workshop, developed through a partnership between Better Futures and FosterClub, is focused on the challenges youth transitioning from foster care may face while pursuing their goals around higher education.

Community And State Systems Change Associated With The Healthy Transitions Initiative, Janet S. Walker, Nancy Koroloff, Shawn James Mehess

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

People engaged in efforts to improve services to emerging adults with serious mental health challenges have reached the conclusion that service change at the program or agency level is not sustainable without related changes at the systems or policy level. This article focuses on one set of efforts to create intentional system change at both the community and state levels. These changes were pursued by states and communities that received grants under the federally funded Healthy Transitions Initiative (HTI), with the aim of creating more effective services for emerging adults with serious mental health conditions. The article reviews the development …

Getting The Most Out Of Vocational Rehabilitation, Research And Training Center For Pathways To Positive Futures, Portland State University

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Your state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program is an important resource for people with disabilities. VR counselors are available to assist young adults with physical, emotional or mental health challenges to successfully pursue their job or career goals. The purpose of this Tip Sheet is to optimize your VR experience. Your counselor wants to see you succeed and will provide information and support to assist you in exercising informed choice throughout the rehabilitation process as you work towards your employment goal.

Youth & Young Adult Peer Support: What Research Tells Us About Its Effectiveness In Mental Health Services, Sharice Jackson, Janet S. Walker, Celeste Seibel

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Increasing the availability of peer support for youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions has been advocated by service users, researchers, and government commissions. Efforts to provide peer support for young people are becoming more and more common. This FAQ describes the research evidence for peer support, as well as some of the challenges that can be expected when peer support is implemented.

Focal Point, Volume 28, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

Between one–third and one–half of young adults with mental health challenges have co-occurring substance use issues. This issue of Focal Point examines treatments and supports for this population.

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?, Adrienne Scavera, Jo-Ann Sowers

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

What do you want to be when you grown up? This is a question most of us heard more than once when we were kids and even more when we were in high school. When we got to be in our 20s the question may have changed to something like, “What are you going to do when you finish college?” or “Now that you are an adult what kind of job or career do you want to do?” After working as a barista, receptionist, and other minimum wage jobs, one young woman in the Career Visions project said, “I am …

Implementing The Peer Support Specialist Role: Peer Support In A Youth-Led Drop-In Center, Research And Training Center For Pathways To Positive Futures, Youth Move Oregon

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This information brief gives an overview of Youth MOVE Oregon, an innovator in peer-led services for youth. The role and development of Peer Support Providers is discussed in some detail along with organizational challenges that need to be addressed.

Focal Point, Volume 27, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This special issue of Focal Point focuses on best practices for helping youth and young adults with mental health challenges reach their educational and employment goals, by highlighting preliminary results from some of our research at Pathways to Positive Futures as well as some of the work being done at the Transitions RTC at the University of Massachusetts.

Faq: Defining, Supporting, And Sustaining The Peer Support Specialist Role, Research And Training Center For Pathways To Positive Futures

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Pathways RTC, together with staff from the Technical Assistance Partnership and the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, decided to interview agencies that were developing peer support specialist (PSS) roles. The goal was to find out what these agencies were learning about defining, supporting, and sustaining the PSS role. This FAQ summarizes some of the main things that were learned.

Native American Young People In The Transition To Adulthood: Perceptions Of Challenges And Supports, Terry L. Cross, Pauline Jivanjee, Abby Bandurraga, Barbara J. Friesen, L. Kris Gowen, Cori Matthew

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation focuses on native American youth and how work with this population can be improved by following the Relational World View as a theoretical framework. Discusses practice-based evidence findings and development of the NAYA Assessment Tool, and the Finding Our Way study methods. Findings of the study explore young people's perceptions of challenges, needs and supports. Finally, the presenters discuss expansion of the assessment tool to address transition domains.

Social Workers' Awareness Of Permanency Readiness Services In San Bernardino Children And Family Services, Maria Vanessa GáLvez, Cynthia Morales Guerra

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to explore social workers' awareness of permanency readiness in the county of San Bernardino Children and Family Services within the foster care system. The intent was to update social workers on how to develop with youth, caregivers and other partners, successful strategies to improve transition practice and outcomes in their daily comprehensive assessments, planning, and practice (Family 2 Family, 2012).