Social Work Commons^™

A Theory Of Change For One-On-One Peer Support For Older Adolescents And Young Adults, Janet S. Walker, Vanessa V. Klodnick, Brianne Lapelusa, Shannon M. Blajeski, Alex R. Freedman, Shannon Marble

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Peer support has become increasingly available as a formal mental health service. However, high quality research and implementation of peer support has been hampered over the years by the lack of theory that clarifies peer support roles and explains exactly how these roles foster positive outcomes for peer support users. Observers have noted that theory is particularly sparse in regard to peer support for older adolescents and young adults, and they have called for theory that not only clarifies roles and mechanisms of impact, but also identifies how peer support for young people might differ from peer support for …

Organizational Supports For Evidence Use In Child Welfare, Emmeline Chuang, Crystal Collins-Camargo, Bowen Mcbeath, Monica Perez Jolles

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite its importance to achieving positive outcomes for vulnerable children and families, use of evidence by child welfare managers and practitioners remains limited. This study describes four types of organizational supports that child welfare agencies may use to facilitate evidence use. Data collected in 2016 from a six-state sample of private child welfare agencies are used to examine agency investment in different supports for evidence use and their association with managerial evidence use. We also identify contextual, organizational, and managerial factors associated with agency investment in these supports. Findings suggest that technical infrastructure is necessary but not sufficient for promoting …

Youth-Reported School Connection And Experiences Of A Middle Schoolebased Screening, Brief Intervention, And Referral To Treatment Initiative: Preliminary Results From A Program Evaluation, Maria Stepanchak, Kate Katzman, Margaret Soukup, Evan Elkin, Kathryn Choate, Allison Kristman-Valente, Carolyn A. Mccarty

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose

This study aimed (1) to evaluate the feasibility of a school-based Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) program that expands on traditional SBIRT to support the mental health and well-being of middle school students and (2) to assess its effects on students’ connection with adults at school.

Methods

Focus group discussions were conducted with 26 students in grades 6–8 to understand student perspectives about an innovative school-based SBIRT program. A subset of middle school students from the SBIRT program who received a brief intervention (BI) after screening (n = 116) were asked to rate their experience meeting …

When Families, Organizational Culture, And Policy Collide: A Mixed Method Study Of Alternative Response, Stacey L. Shipe, Mathew C. Uretsky, Catherine A. Labrenz, Corey S. Shdaimah, Christian M. Connell

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective Alternative response (AR) is a family-centered, preventative approach for child protection systems. This study first examined what family and case factors predicted re-investigation and then explored which organizational factors influence caseworker and agency implementation of AR. Method Using administrative data from child protection reports, AR families (N = 9,959) and traditional response (TR) families (N = 13,974) were followed for 18 months to determine re-investigation rates using multilevel modeling where families were nested in county of residence. Four focus groups with 14 participants were conducted to discuss the quantitative findings, organizational culture, and implementation of AR. Results AR families …

Problematizing Perceptions Of Stem Potential: Differences By Cognitive Disability Status In High School And Postsecondary Educational Outcomes, Dara Shifrer, Daniel Mackin Freeman

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) potential of youth with cognitive disabilities is often dismissed through problematic perceptions of STEM ability as natural and of youth with cognitive disabilities as unable. National data on more than 15,000 adolescents from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 first suggest that, among youth with disabilities, youth with medicated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have the highest levels of STEM achievement, and youth with learning or intellectual disabilities typically have the lowest. Undergraduates with medicated ADHD or autism appear to be more likely to major in STEM than youth without cognitive disabilities, and youth …

Study Guide: How Youth Partners Can Collaborate With Family Partners In Wraparound, Research And Training Center For Pathways To Positive Futures, Portland State University

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

It is our hope that this study guide can be a helpful training, coaching, and conversational tool to help supervisors and staff think through the nuances of this particular working relationship. It can be used when onboarding new staff, when a family partner is working alongside a youth partner for the first time (or vice versa), when addressing challenges that come up, or simply to check in on and refresh staff skills. In addition, it can be used during one-on-one supervision as well as in a group training or coaching session. This tool also may be useful for colleagues who …

It’S About Time: Staff Support Contacts And Mentor Volunteer Experiences, Thomas E. Keller, Alison Drew, Hyuny Clark-Shim, Renee Spencer, Carla Herrera

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Formal youth mentoring programs typically rely on volunteers to serve as mentors to young people, with training and guidance from agency staff. A fundamental program practice is to provide ongoing support and supervision to volunteer mentors by engaging in regular contact to monitor the progress of the mentoring relationship and offer guidance and encouragement. Using data from mentors (n = 504) in multiple mentoring programs (n = 55), the current study investigated how the amount of time devoted to these match support contacts was associated with mentor perceptions regarding the nature of their volunteer experience, specifically: the quality of supervision …

Determinants Of Motivation For Mentoring Among Adults Volunteering To Mentor Youth, Miriam Miranda-Díaz, Hyuny Clark-Shim, Thomas E. Keller, Renee Spencer

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Most youth mentoring programs rely on volunteers to serve as mentors to youth. This study investigates factors associated with motivations for volunteering in this capacity, specifically altruistic and self-oriented reasons for becoming a mentor. Because adults who volunteer as mentors and youth mentees typically come from different socio-cultural backgrounds, the study examines demographic characteristics associated with these different motivations. In addition, the study addresses the empathy-altruism hypothesis suggesting that individuals with higher levels of empathy exhibit greater altruistic tendencies. For this analysis, the focus is on ethnocultural empathy and its association with volunteer motivations. The sample consisted of 1,000 volunteers …

Exploring Fit For The Cultural Adaptation Of A Self-Determination Model For Youth Transitioning From Out-Of-Home Care: A Comparison Of A Sample Of Swedish Youth With Two Samples Of American Youth In Out-Of-Home Care, Tina M. Olsson, Jennifer E. Blakeslee, Martin Bergström, Therése Skoog

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Prior research has established evidence for self-determination enhancement as a promising intervention for youth transitioning from out-of-home care. Understanding how participants in these prior trials compare to adolescents in target contexts may inform practice by highlighting the extent to which such models are expected to benefit young people.

Objective

To assess the extent to which self-determination enhancement is a promising strategy for the Swedish context.

Design

Cross-sectional study comparing a sample of Swedish youth (n = 104) in out-of-home care aged 15+ on a range of outcomes with two archival data sets (My Life; Better Futures) of youth …

Focal Point, Special Compilation Issue 2007–2019, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

For this special compilation, we have included a variety of contributions by youth and young adults that originally appeared in Focal Point issues from 2007 to 2019. These first-hand narratives of recovery personalize what might otherwise be seen only in clinical terms, or represented by a mere statistic. By sharing their stories, these young people also offer hope to other young people experiencing similar problems, and their families. This collection portrays the wide range of individual experiences of youth and young adults and highlights common themes.

Focal Point, Volume 33, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This issue of Focal Point explores the findings from the local evaluations conducted by Healthy Transitions grantees over the past 5 years as well as present evaluation findings from two other innovative programs for transition-aged youth and young adults. Taken together, the articles in this issue supply service providers and planners across the nation with an indication of the successful outcomes generated by a variety of program approaches.

Editorial: Disconnection And Mattering, Grant Charles, Ben Anderson-Nathe

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Editorial. The article offers information on how the disconnection may affect the lives of children and youth and role of mattering to other people in overcoming the loneliness. Topics discussed include information on the empowering child and youth care; discussions on the intentional relationships and connection between children and youth; and the how engagements with young people reduces the loneliness.

Understanding Support Network Capacity During The Transition From Foster Care: Youth-Identified Barriers, Facilitators, And Enhancement Strategies, Jared Best, Jennifer E. Blakeslee

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study explores how foster care experiences can impact support network functionality as young people exit the foster care system. This can be conceptualized as a function of both network member capacity to provide adequate support to address young adult needs, and network stability, which reflects cohesion within and across relationships to facilitate consistent support over time. We conducted support network mapping and semi-structured interviews with youth in foster care aged 16–20 (N = 22) and used theoretical thematic analysis to explore support barriers and facilitators in relation to the organizing concepts of support capacity and network stability. Overall, support …

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 …

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.

Achieving Cross-System Collaboration To Support Young People In The Transition Years: A Tip Sheet For Service Providers, Pauline Jivanjee, Eileen Brennan, Claudia Sellmaier, Maria Carolina Gonzalez-Prats, Pathways Transition Training Collaborative

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This tip sheet advises service providers on how to reach across fragmented services and systems to assist young people to achieve their goals.

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.

Iv-E Waiver Evaluation – Leveraging Intensive Family Engagement (Life) Program Evaluation, Carrie Jeanne Furrer, Thuan Duong, Amanda Cross-Hemmer, Beth L. Green

Child Welfare

In partnership with Oregon’s Department of Human Services, we are conducting qualitative and quantitative research to document the implementation and outcomes of the LIFE program. LIFE is an innovative approach to reducing time in out of home placement by providing intensive, multi-modal interventions that integrate Family Finding, Family Meetings, Parent Mentors, and a focus on family and youth voice in reducing the time spent in care for youth at high risk for long term foster care placements.

Family Connections Research Capsules, Center For Improvement Of Child And Family Services

Child Welfare

Family Connections Oregon (FCO) was a three-year demonstration project funded by the Children’s Bureau in which a co-located coordinator provided a package of services - intensive family finding and engagement, family group conferencing, and follow-up - within the first 60 days of a child’s out-of-home placement. These practices are continuing in Oregon through a IV-E waiver demonstration project called Leveraging Intensive Family Engagement (LIFE).

The Research Capsules associated with this project are included in this record.

Peer Mentoring In Child Welfare: A Motivational Framework, Anna Rockhill, Carrie Furrer, Thuan Duong

Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services Publications

Peer mentoring interventions for parents with substance use disorders who are involved with the child welfare system are relatively new, complex, individualized interventions and thus need to be understood both in regard to program efficacy and the processes of how they work. This qualitative study of the experiences of parents involved in a parent mentoring program suggested that certain practices helped motivate parents to think and act in ways that supported their goals and child welfare case plans. The three key mentoring practices that emerged were building caring relationships, pro- viding guidance, and putting parents in charge. These practices promoted …

Family Connections Research, Oregon Child Welfare Partnership, Katharine Cahn

Child Welfare

Family Connections Oregon (FCO) was a three-year demonstration project funded by the Children’s Bureau in which a co-located coordinator provided a package of services - intensive family finding and engagement, family group conferencing, and follow-up - within the first 60 days of a child’s out-of-home placement. These practices are continuing in Oregon through a IV-E waiver demonstration project called Leveraging Intensive Family Engagement (LIFE).

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.

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.

Fidelity And Adaptation Of A Sibling Relationship Intervention For The Prevention Of Antisocial Behavior, Casadi "Khaki" Marino

Student Research Symposium

The Supporting Siblings in Foster Care program (SIBS) utilizes a universal recruitment strategy for a RCT skills training program for siblings in foster care at high risk of poor health, disability, and conduct issues. This poster session will examine the process of program adaptation, review the components of intervention fidelity, and explore the challenges of intervention in the context of foster children's lives. Fidelity of implementation and program adaptation are essential to prevention program design. Program adaptation may be required for cultural fit and ecological factors. Focus group data from a group of intervention staff indicated that changes were made …

Extended Foster Care: The Foster Parent's Perception, Tosha Thomas

Theses Digitization Project

This study proposes to examine AB 12; California's Fostering Connections to Success Act, as it relates to the experiences of foster parents that choose to care for young adults after they turn 18. Assembly Bill 12 (AB 12) was passed in 2010 and formerly extends the time youth can remain in foster care in California. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of the implementation of California's Fostering Connections to Success Act, AB 12 on foster parents working with young adults in extended foster care. The goals of this study include identifying gaps in and lack of …

Social Workers' Attitudes And Perceptions Towards Extended Foster Care, Mina Nahavandi Moghaddam, Amanda Ellen Garcia

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this research study was to assess the attitudes and perspectives of social workers on the implentation of the Extended Foster Care within the Department of Child and Family Sevrices in San Bernardino county. Exploring and gathering the social workers' level of knowledge and assessing their attitudes toward Extended Foster Care allowed the researchers to collect information that could be utilized to understand challenges, and come up with the interventions to assist professionals to better prepare the foster youth for independence.

Social Workers' Perceptions Of Psychotropic Medication Use On Children And Adolescents In Foster Care, Tina Latrice Johnson Hollman, Dominic Marcus Ruffin

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of social workers' regarding psychotropic medication use on children in foster care. This study also addressed any prospective concerns that social workers may have had as they relate to psychotropic medications being administered to children in foster care.

Focal Point, Volume 26, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This issue of Focal Point focuses on the recognition that mental health and physical health should not be considered separately. It addresses how the mind and body impact each other, and how we can strive to achieve balance within ourselves.

Social Work Students' Perceptions Of Child Emotional Abuse, Karla Aurora Lara

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to examine graduate level social work students' perceptions of emotional abuse in order to understand the underlying thought processes that affect the response and decision-making of these future professionals who will likely be responsible for reporting, investigating, and/or treating emotional abuse of children.

Service Utilization: Differences Between Kinship And Non-Kinship Prospective Adoptive Homes, Anthony Allen Negron

Theses Digitization Project

The goal of this study was to investigate differences in pre-finalization service utilization between kinship and non-kinship prospective adoptive families. The study also investigated if the utilization of services linked with placement stability in prospective adoptive families.