implementation findings from the youth villages transitional living evaluation

162 Pages·2014·3.37 MB·English

by  Janae E. Bonsu

moving
into
adulthood
IMPLEMENTATION
FINDINGS FROM
THE YOUTH VILLAGES
TRANSITIONAL LIVING
EVALUATION
Michelle Manno
Erin Jacobs
Julianna Alson
Melanie Skemer
March 2014
MDRC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mary Jo Bane Josh B. McGee
Chair Vice President of Public
Thornton Bradshaw Professor of Accountability
Public Policy and Management Laura and John Arnold Foundation
John F. Kennedy School of
Government Richard J. Murnane
Harvard University Thompson Professor of Education
and Society
Graduate School of Education
Robert Solow
Harvard University
Chairman Emeritus
Institute Professor Emeritus
Jan Nicholson
Massachusetts Institute of
President
Technology
The Grable Foundation
Rudolph G. Penner
John S. Reed
Treasurer
Retired Chairman
Senior Fellow and Arjay and
Citigroup
Frances Miller Chair in
Public Policy
Michael Roster
Urban Institute
Former General Counsel
_______________________________
Stanford University
Former Managing Partner
Ron Haskins
Morrison & Foerster, Los Angeles
Senior Fellow, Economic Studies
Co-Director, Center on Children and
Cecilia E. Rouse
Families
Dean, Woodrow Wilson School of
Brookings Institution
Public and International Affairs
Katzman-Ernst Professor in the
James H. Johnson, Jr.
Economics of Education
William Rand Kenan Jr.
Professor of Economics and
Distinguished Professor of
Public Affairs
Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Princeton University
Director, Urban Investment
Strategies Center
Isabel V. Sawhill
University of North Carolina
Senior Fellow, Economic Studies
Co-Director, Center on Children and
Lawrence F. Katz
Families
Elisabeth Allison Professor of
Brookings Institution
Economics
Harvard University
Bridget Terry Long
Professor of Education and _______________________________
Economics
Graduate School of Education Gordon L. Berlin
Harvard University President, MDRC
Moving into Adulthood

Implementation Findings from the Youth Villages
Transitional Living Evaluation

Michelle Manno
Erin Jacobs
Julianna Alson
Melanie Skemer

March 2014
MDRC’s evaluation of the Youth Villages Transitional Living program is being funded through
grants from The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation.

Dissemination of MDRC publications is supported by the following funders that help finance
MDRC’s public policy outreach and expanding efforts to communicate the results and implications
of our work to policymakers, practitioners, and others: The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The George
Gund Foundation, Sandler Foundation, and The Starr Foundation.

In addition, earnings from the MDRC Endowment help sustain our dissemination efforts. Contribu-
tors to the MDRC Endowment include Alcoa Foundation, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, An-
heuser-Busch Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation,
Ford Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The Grable Foundation, The Lizabeth and Frank
Newman Charitable Foundation, The New York Times Company Foundation, Jan Nicholson, Paul
H. O’Neill Charitable Foundation, John S. Reed, Sandler Foundation, and The Stupski Family Fund,
as well as other individual contributors.

The findings and conclusions in this report do not necessarily represent the official positions or poli-
cies of the funders.

The photographs on the cover of this report were furnished by the Youth Villages Communication
Department.

For information about MDRC and copies of our publications, see our Web site: www.mdrc.org.
®
Copyright © 2014 by MDRC . All rights reserved.
Overview
The Youth Villages Transitional Living program is intended to help youth who were formerly
in foster care or juvenile justice custody, or who are otherwise unprepared for adult life, to make
the transition to independent living. Youth Villages, which serves emotionally and behaviorally
troubled young people, operates a number of programs in addition to Transitional Living. All of
its programs are based on a set of core principles that emphasize treatment planning, systematic
assessment of participating youth, and delivery of only evidence-informed practices within a
highly structured supervisory system.
Transitional Living clients receive intensive, individualized, and clinically focused and commu-
nity-based case management, support, and counseling from staff who carry caseloads of about
eight clients each. Youth eligibility is determined through an extensive recruitment and assess-
ment process. Once youth are enrolled, Transitional Living staff continue to assess them to
identify needs and work with them to develop goals, which become the basis of required weekly
meetings. Over nine months, on average, program participants get support for education, hous-
ing, mental or physical health, employment, and life skills. This support is provided in a variety
of forms, including action-oriented activities that involve completing a specific task during a
weekly session or through more traditional counseling techniques.
The Transitional Living Evaluation is focused exclusively on the program in Tennessee, al-
though Youth Villages also has Transitional Living programs in six other states.
Key Findings
• Variation in the local context across Tennessee shaped the experiences of youth who partic-
ipated in the evaluation. Resources that can be limited or challenging to navigate, particular-
ly in rural areas, include access to transportation, employers, and social service providers.
• Staff interviews and analysis of the management information system indicated that the
Transitional Living program was implemented in accordance with the program model, with
the frequency and duration of Transitional Living services close to expected levels.
• Participation levels in the Transitional Living program were high, and youth were engaged
in services soon after being assigned to receive them. Staff discussed a wide range of topics
with their cases and made contact with other adults who were involved in each youth’s life.
A report presenting the impacts of the program after one year is planned for release in 2015.
iii
Contents

Overview iii
List of Exhibits vii
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Executive Summary ES-1

Chapter

1 Introduction and Background 1
Young Adults with Histories of Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Custody 4
National Policy Context 5
Tennessee Policy Context 7
Service Models for Young Adults with Foster Care or Juvenile Justice Histories 9
Youth Villages and the Transitional Living Program 12
The Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation 15
Roadmap to the Report 19

2 Local Context and Service Environment 21
The Youth Villages Transitional Living Program in Tennessee 21
Resources Available Through Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services 30
The Control Group’s Service Receipt 31
Conclusion 32

3 Youth Villages and the Transitional Living Program 33
Overview of Youth Villages 33
History and Development of the Transitional Living Program 41
Transitional Living Staffing Structure 42
The Youth Villages Transitional Living Program Model 45
Conclusion 55

4 Study Recruitment and Enrollment 57
Study Recruitment and Assessment of Eligibility 57
Random Assignment and Enrollment 66
Characteristics of Study Participants 67
Conclusion 74

v
5 Implementation of the Youth Villages Transitional Living Program 77
Overview of Service Delivery 77
Transitional Living Sessions: The “What” 78
Transitional Living Sessions: The “How” 91
Conclusion 98

6 Participation in Transitional Living Services 99
Length of Participation in the Transitional Living Program 99
Participation in Key Transitional Living Program Services 101
Participation in Transitional Living Sessions 105
Participation in Other Transitional Living Services 109
Conclusion 114

7 Discussion 117
Transitional Living Program Model 117
Key Implementation Findings 118
Factors That Facilitated the Implementation of the Transitional Living Program 119
Challenges to Implementing the Transitional Living Program 120
Context of Program Operations and Implications for Implementation in
Other Locations 121
Are the Evaluation Findings Generalizable? 123

Appendix

A Sample Treatment Plan 125

References 131

vi
List of Exhibits
Table
2.1 Characteristics of Select Youth Villages Office Service Areas 23
4.1 Characteristics of Sample Members at Baseline 69
4.2 State Custody History of Sample Members at Baseline 73
6.1 Participation in Transitional Living Services, Months 1 to 9 102
6.2 Participation in Weekly Transitional Living Sessions, Months 1 to 9 106
6.3 Weekly Transitional Living Session Topics, Months 1 to 9 107
6.4 Contacts Between Youth and Transitional Living Specialists in Addition to
Weekly Transitional Living Sessions, Months 1 to 9 110
6.5 Program Participants’ Receipt of Support Payments, Months 1 to 9 112
6.6 Transitional Living Specialists’ Contact with Third Parties, Months 1 to 9 114

Figure
ES.1 The Youth Villages Transitional Living Program Model ES-5
1.1 The Youth Villages Transitional Living Program Model 13
2.1 Population Density in Youth Villages Office Service Areas in Tennessee, by
County 22
3.1 Youth Villages Partial Staffing Chart 36
3.2 Fishbone Diagram for Addressing Lack of Employment 40
3.3 Transitional Living Staffing Chart for One Region 43
3.4 Transitional Living Key Practice Elements 49
4.1 Youth Villages Transitional Living Study Assessment Process 61
5.1 Fishbone Diagram for Addressing Alcohol and Drug Use 95
6.1 Monthly Participation in Transitional Living Services 100
A.1 Sample Treatment Plan 127

vii
Box
3.1 Sample Activities of a Transitional Living Specialist 47
4.1 Life Before Youth Villages Transitional Living: A Sample of Program
Participants’ Histories 68
5.1 A Sample Transitional Living Session 79
5.2 Evidence-Informed Practices Approved by Youth Villages and Used in the
Transitional Living Program 81
5.3 Services Received in Transitional Living: A Success Story 84

viii