Improving outcomes for pregnant and parenting foster care youth with severe mental illness: An evaluation of a transitional living program.

Abstract

This is the first study to evaluate a program designed for this very unique population and has implications for program design and policy. Future research with more rigorous experimental design is necessary in order to understand the critical ingredients of programs serving this vulnerable population.

Why not support(ed) parenting?

“…Their efforts have brought us closer to success in achieving these goals. (Zeitz, 1995;Vorhies et al, 2009 Kaplan, Kottsieper, Scott, Salzer, & Solomon, 2009;Kundra & Alexander, 2009). Joanne Riebschleger's earlier qualitative work with children whose parents have psychiatric disabilities provided the foundation for the development of the pilot intervention, Youth, Education and Support, or YES (Riebschleger, 2004(Riebschleger, , 2009).…”

“…The late Carol Mowbray and her colleagues at the University of Michigan have made a substantial contribution to our understanding of mothers with mental illnesses and their families; their research has often appeared in this journal. Thresholds, in Chicago, is the site of a long-standing program for mothers with mental illnesses, and their current work is represented in this issue (Zeitz, 1995; Vorhies et al, 2009). The UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration, working with university and community agency partners, focuses on parenting as a desired social role for individuals with psychiatric disabilities (UPENN Collaborative on Community Integration, 2009; Kaplan, Kottsieper, Scott, Salzer, & Solomon, 2009; Kundra & Alexander, 2009).…”

Understanding how young people transitioning from out-of-home care acquire and develop independent living skills and knowledge: A systematic review of longitudinal studies

“…Of the included studies, eleven [ 45 , 60 , 63 , 68 , 70 , 72 , 76 – 78 , 82 , 83 ] adopted mixed-methodology, ten [ 35 , 59 , 62 , 66 , 67 , 71 , 73 – 75 , 81 ] used qualitative approaches, and six [ 61 , 64 , 65 , 69 , 79 , 80 ] used quantitative approaches. A total of five [ 35 , 59 , 61 , 75 , 82 ] studies conducted comparisons with general populations involving cross-national or control groups.…”

“…All studies focused on ILS as an overarching theme for post-care outcomes. The included studies covered a range of primary themes covering specific needs, which would sit underneath the ILS umbrella, for example, mental health [ 59 , 70 ], disability [ 35 ], housing [ 65 , 67 , 75 , 76 , 78 ], and education [ 63 – 65 , 72 , 76 , 81 , 82 ]. Over half (14/27) of the included studies focussed on individuals functioning, processing, and adjustment to life after care and provided a broad analysis which reflected on different ILS domains [ 45 , 60 – 62 , 64 , 66 , 68 , 69 , 71 , 74 , 79 , 80 , 82 , 83 ].…”

Am I a Successful Adult? Exploring the Influence of Ethnic Diversity in Defining Success among Former Foster Youth

“…Former foster youth, as a group, struggle to obtain safe and stable housing, especially when compared to non-foster youth (Vorhies et al, 2009). Risk factors such as alienation from primary support systems, childhood history of maltreatment and exposure to interpersonal violence, increased mental health concerns (Narendorf et al, 2021), and limited financial resources, all contribute to challenges in obtaining safe and stable housing once they emancipate from foster care (Tyrell & Yates, 2017).…”