Evaluation of self-determination enhancement for adolescents in foster care

描述（由申请人提供）：每年，大约有24,000名青少年脱离寄养。其中许多青年开始独立的成年生活时，很少或根本没有得到家庭的帮助，几乎没有社区联系，几乎没有经济来源。寄养青年的显着比例（约40%）的经验，残疾和很少有人准备突然进入成年人很少的支持，解放寄养青年经常经历。寄养青年离开照料机构的令人不安的过渡结果得到了全国的关注，1999年《寄养独立法》将各州为寄养青年提供独立生活服务的联邦资金增加了一倍。然而，不幸的是，还没有随机或准对照研究评估服务的有效性，为青年退出寄养。相比之下，改善残疾青年过渡期成果的做法得到了很好的研究，增强自决已成为与改善成人成果相关的最公认的因素之一。为了收集关于对寄养青年实施自决增强干预的可行性的初步数据，以及对这组高危青年的过渡结果的潜在功效，在俄勒冈州进行了一项使用2组X 3重复测量设计的试点研究（题为“我的生活”）。初步研究的数据显示，干预组的青年在自决、就业率、参与过渡规划和总体生活质量方面都有所提高。 鉴于这些积极的发现，目前研究的目的是对我的生活计划进行全面的有效性试验。与俄勒冈州国土安全部寄养计划合作进行，干预措施的影响将通过随机实验纵向设计进行评估。210名年龄在16.5-17.5岁之间的青少年将分三波参加，并随机分配到接受典型寄养服务的对照组或参加该模式关键要素的治疗组，包括自决技能指导，支持领导自己协调的机构间过渡规划会议，并参加与导师的研讨会。在干预前、干预结束时和干预后12个月，对青年自决、生活质量、就业、心理健康、教育成就和独立生活等成果进行评估。拟议的研究将提供重要信息，说明该模式对所有脱离寄养系统的青年的效力，并提供明确的数据，说明增强自决权是否至少部分地促进了各个成果领域，包括心理健康、教育成就、就业、独立生活和生活质量;评估特殊教育状况、性别和种族对干预影响的调节作用。寄养经验，如创伤和安置不稳定，将被视为协变量，这些关键寄养经验的干预措施的直接影响也将进行探讨。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Each year, approximately 24,000 youth age-out of foster care on their own. Many of these youth begin independent adult life with little or no help from family, few community connections and virtually no financial resources. A significant percentage of foster youth (approximately 40%) experience a disability and few are prepared for the sudden entry into adulthood-with little support-that emancipated foster youth frequently experience. The troubling transition outcomes of foster youth exiting care have received national attention and in 1999 the Foster Care Independence Act (FCIA) doubled the federal money states receive to provide foster youth with independent living services. Unfortunately however, there have been no randomized or quasi- controlled studies evaluating the effectiveness of services for youth exiting foster care. In contrast, practices for improving the transition outcomes of youth with disabilities have been well studied and self determination enhancement has surfaced as one of the most recognized factors associated with improved adult outcomes. To gather preliminary data on the feasibility of implementing a self-determination enhancement intervention with youth in foster care, and the potential efficacy it has on transition outcomes for this group of at-risk youth, a pilot study using a 2 groups X 3 repeated measures design was conducted in Oregon (entitled My Life). Data from the initial study reveal that youth in the intervention group experienced increases in self-determination, rates of employment, involvement in transition planning and overall quality of life. Given these positive findings, the purpose of the current study is to implement a full-scale efficacy trial of the My Life program. Conducted in partnership with the Oregon DHS Foster Care Program, the impact of the intervention will be being evaluated with a randomized experimental longitudinal design. Two hundred and ten youth, ages 16.5-17.5, will be enrolled in 3 waves, and randomly assigned to either a comparison group that receives typical foster care services or to a treatment group that participates in the key elements of the model, including instruction in self-determination skills, support in leading their own coordinated inter-agency transition planning meetings, and participation in workshops with mentors. Outcomes, including youth self-determination, quality of life, employment, mental health, educational achievement and independent living, are assessed pre- intervention, at the conclusion of intervention, and at 12 months post-intervention. The proposed study will provide important information on the efficacy of the model for all youth exiting the foster care system, yielding unequivocal data on whether enhanced self-determination mediates, at least partially, various outcome areas, including mental health, educational achievement, employment, independent living, and quality of life; evaluating the effect of special education status, gender, and race as moderating influences on the impact of the intervention. Foster care experiences, such as trauma and placement instability, will be considered as covariates; direct effects of the intervention on these key foster care experiences will also be explored.