Intervention to Enhance Coping and Help-seeking Among Youth in Foster Care

Launched by PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY · Aug 24, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at a program called Stronger Youth Networks and Coping (SYNC) designed to help young people in foster care improve their mental health and coping skills. The goal is to teach these youth how to better handle stress, manage their emotions, and seek help when they need it. The trial will involve two main groups of participants aged 16 to 20 who have been identified as being at risk for behavioral health issues. By participating, they will have the opportunity to learn new skills over a series of online sessions, which may help them feel better and use mental health services more effectively.

To be eligible for the trial, participants must be between 16 and 20 years old, have been in foster care for at least 90 days after turning 14, and show signs of needing behavioral health support. Those who can actively take part will join the program remotely, while those who do not speak English, have significant developmental challenges, or are in crisis situations will not be included. This trial aims to see if the SYNC program can make a positive difference in the lives of these young people, helping them manage their emotions and improve their overall mental well-being.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Eligible to receive federally-funded transition-related services in Oregon (ages 16-20 and in foster care at least 90 days after they turned age 14),
• • Indicated behavioral health risk. Behavioral health risk is indicated by child welfare administrative indicators of lifetime behavioral health need or service involvement (DSM diagnoses, psychotropic medication, emotional-behavioral disability, congregate care/residential placement)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Inability to actively participate in the intervention, including you who are: non-English speaking, significantly developmentally disabled, or where participation is otherwise contraindicated (e.g., youth is in crisis, youth is in a placement that will not allow for participation)