Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 2018
The aim of this repeated-measures study was to examine the roles of cultural mistrust and perceiv... more The aim of this repeated-measures study was to examine the roles of cultural mistrust and perceived mentor support for ethnic-racial identity in a sample of girls of color. It was hypothesized that mentors' support for ethnic-racial identity measured at baseline would influence relationship quality, as well as the girls' ethnic identity and cultural mistrust, at the end of the intervention, adjusting for baseline measures. It was also hypothesized that girls' cultural mistrust toward Whites at baseline would be negatively associated with mentoring relationship quality at the end of the intervention. Participants were 40 adolescent girls of color who were matched with racially-ethnically diverse women mentors in a community-based mentoring program. Mentor support for ethnic-racial identity as reported by youth significantly predicted relative increases in youth reports of relational but not instrumental satisfaction. Higher mentor support for ethnic-racial identity also significantly predicted increases in ethnic identity exploration, but only among girls with White mentors. Further, youth's reported greater cultural mistrust toward Whites was a significant predictor of decreased instrumental relationship satisfaction among girls with White mentors. Findings support the importance of further efforts to understand the roles of culturally relevant relationship processes and youth attitudes in mentoring interventions for girls of color.
This paper evaluates Conversation Club, a Canadian after-school group mentoring intervention focu... more This paper evaluates Conversation Club, a Canadian after-school group mentoring intervention focusing on the expansion of the program across three separate regions of Ontario. The authors use a multiple methods design, including questionnaires (n=101), post-session process data, and qualitative interviews (n=18), to evaluate how Conversation Club impacts members' feelings of hope, belonging, sense of ethnic identity, and social support. A focus group (n = 7) with program facilitators was also conducted to explore the process of dissemination of the Club across regions. Findings suggest that Conversation Club holds promise for newcomer youth across settings. Quantitative data showed significant change (p <.01) in levels of hope and sense of belonging. Interviews revealed an increased sense of belonging, possibility, and social support, as well as improved confidence in communicating with others. Insights regarding use of the Club manual suggest the importance of integrating Conversation Club values with flexibility in facilitation to incorporate the strengths and opportunities of context across regions. Study limitations, as well as implications for further social work research and dissemination of best practices in services for migrant and refugee youth, are discussed.
This mixed-methods research evaluates Conversation Club (CC), a Canadian after-school group mento... more This mixed-methods research evaluates Conversation Club (CC), a Canadian after-school group mentoring intervention for newcomer youth. The study's main objectives are to examine the effects of CC on newcomer youth's experiences of belonging, connectedness, hopefulness, and integration into Canadian society. Using a quasi-experimental design, CC (n = 67) and a comparison group of immigrant youth (n = 25) completed questionnaires focused on sense of ethnic identity, community, belonging, and hope for the future. In addition, a subset of CC participants (n = 13) completed in-depth interviews focused on their experience of the Club. Interview findings suggest that participation in the Club results in an increased sense of belonging and connection for these young people. Implications for research and programs are discussed, focused on ways to enhance and expand innovative group mentoring programs to the important populations of immigrant and migrant young people across Canada and beyond.
Youth mentoring is a popular tool in positive youth development, with most programs utilizing a m... more Youth mentoring is a popular tool in positive youth development, with most programs utilizing a model through which youth and non-parental adults are "matched." Using an adaptation of the Facilitating Attuned Interactions framework, this study sought to explore the effectiveness of the Mentoring FAN in enhancing interpersonal attunement among mentoring staff at two youth mentoring programs in the U.S. Upon completion of the Mentoring FAN training, quantitative (n = 28) and qualitative (n = 15) data were collected from program staff at both sites. Open-ended data from a subset of mentors (n = 27) was also gathered. Results revealed that mentoring staff experienced significant increases in empathy following the Mentoring FAN intervention. Participant interviews revealed increased attunement, increased listening ability, and increased collaboration in the supervisory relationship. Findings support the continued delivery and rigorous testing of Mentoring FAN training, with great promise for enhancing attunement across the mentoring system as a means of strengthening the relationships so critical to this intervention. The study also has important implications for the development of mentor support practices within mentoring organizations, as well as policies designed to meet the needs of youth served by mentoring programs in the U.S.
Formal youth mentoring programs tend to focus on the mentor-mentee dyad as the primary relationsh... more Formal youth mentoring programs tend to focus on the mentor-mentee dyad as the primary relationship cultivated and supported. The interests and preferences of the parent or caregiver in the mentoring relationship may receive little attention. In this study, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with primary caregivers (N = 20) of early adolescent girls participating in a Big Brothers Big Sisters community-based mentoring program to explore reasons why they wanted mentors for their daughters. Thematic analysis revealed that caregivers expected mentors to support their daughters as trusted companions, confidants, and conduits to opportunities and services. In addition, caregivers noted ways in which mentoring offered them respite and reinforced their parenting. The findings highlight the potential value of assessing caregiver perspectives and priorities so that program staff and mentors can partner more effectively with youth and families for successful mentoring experiences.
A B S T R A C T This analysis drew from a study in which child welfare professionals were intervi... more A B S T R A C T This analysis drew from a study in which child welfare professionals were interviewed about their definitions of " well-being " and the barriers and facilitators to promoting well-being in their daily practices. Participants consistently identified an unfortunate irony: that the practices they consider essential to promoting well-being are often constrained by system-wide efforts to ensure compliance with child welfare mandates, including the well-being mandate. The systems' need for data on accountability and compliance was often viewed as anti-thetical to practices of well-being for children and families. During in-depth interviews with 28 child welfare professionals in a large Midwestern city, casework was described as having two key dimensions: social work and paperwork. " Social work " was characterized as the work of building strengths-based relationships with clients. " Paperwork " was characterized as requirements to document practices to ensure compliance with institutional mandates. The latter form of work was often described as diverting time and attention away from the former. However, poignant counterpoints to this characterization of paperwork were provided, illustrating ways that it might facilitate social work. We propose a set of essential questions for future research in the role of paperwork in child welfare practice, including an exploration of what kinds of accountability paperwork enables and how these forms of bureaucratic authorship relate to other forms of communication and relationality in contemporary child welfare systems.
ABSTRACT Social work graduate school programs focusing on clinical practice have traditionally at... more ABSTRACT Social work graduate school programs focusing on clinical practice have traditionally attended less to the profession&#39;s advocacy role. Masters-level clinical social work students, therefore, may not receive adequate training to understand their roles in advocating for or against policies that directly impact their practice. This article proposes a collaborative learning model called ‘Advocacy Week’, which prepares students for a statewide NASW-sponsored Advocacy Day. Using case presentations prepared in collaboration with clinical and policy social work faculty, aspiring clinical social work practitioners are exposed to the relevance of advocacy. Preliminary findings suggest that graduate students exposed to this model become aware of their advocate role as part of their clinical practice, a knowledge which has implications for social work education.
The concept of mentoring youth has a long history dating back nearly 3 millennia to its namesake ... more The concept of mentoring youth has a long history dating back nearly 3 millennia to its namesake character Mentor in Homer&amp;amp;#x27;s Odyssey. Formal mentoring programs, too, have been part of the landscape of community-based efforts to foster positive youth development in this country for nearly a century (Baker &amp;amp;amp; Maguire, 2005). Yet, their remarkable surge in popularity during recent times is clearly unprecedented. More than 4,500 agencies and programs in the United States now provide mentoring services for youth (Rhodes, 2002). ...
Handbook of Prevention and Intervention Programs for Adolescent Girls, Jun 11, 2007
The concept of mentoring youth has a long history dating back nearly 3 millennia to its namesake ... more The concept of mentoring youth has a long history dating back nearly 3 millennia to its namesake character Mentor in Homer's Odyssey. Formal mentoring programs, too, have been part of the landscape of community-based efforts to foster positive youth development in this country for nearly a century (Baker & Maguire, 2005). Yet, their remarkable surge in popularity during recent times is clearly unprecedented. More than 4,500 agencies and programs in the United States now provide mentoring services for youth (Rhodes, 2002). ...
This study examines the experiences of 28 emerging adults (mean age 1⁄4 22; 16 female, 12 male) w... more This study examines the experiences of 28 emerging adults (mean age 1⁄4 22; 16 female, 12 male) who have aged out of the child welfare system in the United States. Findings derived from in-depth interviews focus on the multilevel challenges these young people encounter in the help-seeking process upon aging out of care. Patterns highlight intrapersonal, interpersonal, and systemic barriers to help seeking that limit success of these young people during this developmental transition. These patterns include a sense of help seeking as both essential and inappropriate to development during this period. Patterns also highlight the myriad barriers faced by these young adults as they struggle to connect with critically needed resources during this stage. Implications inform work in child welfare, both with those receiving and providing care, during childhood and throughout the aging out process.
This interpretive study explores the experiences of 44 Midwestern young adults in the process of ... more This interpretive study explores the experiences of 44 Midwestern young adults in the process of aging out of foster care. This paper highlights the degree to which they endorse self-reliance as they reflect on past experiences, offer advice to foster youth, and identify barriers to achieving their own life goals. Findings suggest that this identity must be understood in multiple contexts including societal expectations of independence and autonomy, foster-care and family of origin as developmental contexts, and current scholarship on youth aging out of care. We argue that vigilant self-reliance can be a source of resilience but also a potential risk in facilitating the very connections to supportive relationships that research suggests can produce positive outcomes in adulthood. This article advances a holistic life course perspective [Stein, M. & Wade, J. (2000). Helping care leavers: Problems and strategic responses. London: HMSO.] on the development of independence and self-reliance in adulthood to expand current conceptualizations of these and more recent ideals of interdependence promoted in child welfare policy and practice.
The aims of this study were to examine the mentoring and social network experiences of Latino you... more The aims of this study were to examine the mentoring and social network experiences of Latino youth during the high school transition. A mixed-methods approach was used to examine participants' natural mentoring relationships before and after the transition along with the broader social networks of youth. A total of 32 Latino participants completed quantitative surveys before the high school transition and then participated in qualitative interviews 1 year later. Having a mentor at Time 1 predicted having a mentor at Time 2. Findings revealed three mentoring groups: participants with mentors at both time points, participants with a mentor at one time point, and nonmentored participants. Participants who had mentors at both time points had rich and varied social networks, whereas participants in the other two groups had limited social networks with little support. Implications and future directions for mentoring research and programs are discussed.
Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 2018
The aim of this repeated-measures study was to examine the roles of cultural mistrust and perceiv... more The aim of this repeated-measures study was to examine the roles of cultural mistrust and perceived mentor support for ethnic-racial identity in a sample of girls of color. It was hypothesized that mentors' support for ethnic-racial identity measured at baseline would influence relationship quality, as well as the girls' ethnic identity and cultural mistrust, at the end of the intervention, adjusting for baseline measures. It was also hypothesized that girls' cultural mistrust toward Whites at baseline would be negatively associated with mentoring relationship quality at the end of the intervention. Participants were 40 adolescent girls of color who were matched with racially-ethnically diverse women mentors in a community-based mentoring program. Mentor support for ethnic-racial identity as reported by youth significantly predicted relative increases in youth reports of relational but not instrumental satisfaction. Higher mentor support for ethnic-racial identity also significantly predicted increases in ethnic identity exploration, but only among girls with White mentors. Further, youth's reported greater cultural mistrust toward Whites was a significant predictor of decreased instrumental relationship satisfaction among girls with White mentors. Findings support the importance of further efforts to understand the roles of culturally relevant relationship processes and youth attitudes in mentoring interventions for girls of color.
This paper evaluates Conversation Club, a Canadian after-school group mentoring intervention focu... more This paper evaluates Conversation Club, a Canadian after-school group mentoring intervention focusing on the expansion of the program across three separate regions of Ontario. The authors use a multiple methods design, including questionnaires (n=101), post-session process data, and qualitative interviews (n=18), to evaluate how Conversation Club impacts members' feelings of hope, belonging, sense of ethnic identity, and social support. A focus group (n = 7) with program facilitators was also conducted to explore the process of dissemination of the Club across regions. Findings suggest that Conversation Club holds promise for newcomer youth across settings. Quantitative data showed significant change (p <.01) in levels of hope and sense of belonging. Interviews revealed an increased sense of belonging, possibility, and social support, as well as improved confidence in communicating with others. Insights regarding use of the Club manual suggest the importance of integrating Conversation Club values with flexibility in facilitation to incorporate the strengths and opportunities of context across regions. Study limitations, as well as implications for further social work research and dissemination of best practices in services for migrant and refugee youth, are discussed.
This mixed-methods research evaluates Conversation Club (CC), a Canadian after-school group mento... more This mixed-methods research evaluates Conversation Club (CC), a Canadian after-school group mentoring intervention for newcomer youth. The study's main objectives are to examine the effects of CC on newcomer youth's experiences of belonging, connectedness, hopefulness, and integration into Canadian society. Using a quasi-experimental design, CC (n = 67) and a comparison group of immigrant youth (n = 25) completed questionnaires focused on sense of ethnic identity, community, belonging, and hope for the future. In addition, a subset of CC participants (n = 13) completed in-depth interviews focused on their experience of the Club. Interview findings suggest that participation in the Club results in an increased sense of belonging and connection for these young people. Implications for research and programs are discussed, focused on ways to enhance and expand innovative group mentoring programs to the important populations of immigrant and migrant young people across Canada and beyond.
Youth mentoring is a popular tool in positive youth development, with most programs utilizing a m... more Youth mentoring is a popular tool in positive youth development, with most programs utilizing a model through which youth and non-parental adults are "matched." Using an adaptation of the Facilitating Attuned Interactions framework, this study sought to explore the effectiveness of the Mentoring FAN in enhancing interpersonal attunement among mentoring staff at two youth mentoring programs in the U.S. Upon completion of the Mentoring FAN training, quantitative (n = 28) and qualitative (n = 15) data were collected from program staff at both sites. Open-ended data from a subset of mentors (n = 27) was also gathered. Results revealed that mentoring staff experienced significant increases in empathy following the Mentoring FAN intervention. Participant interviews revealed increased attunement, increased listening ability, and increased collaboration in the supervisory relationship. Findings support the continued delivery and rigorous testing of Mentoring FAN training, with great promise for enhancing attunement across the mentoring system as a means of strengthening the relationships so critical to this intervention. The study also has important implications for the development of mentor support practices within mentoring organizations, as well as policies designed to meet the needs of youth served by mentoring programs in the U.S.
Formal youth mentoring programs tend to focus on the mentor-mentee dyad as the primary relationsh... more Formal youth mentoring programs tend to focus on the mentor-mentee dyad as the primary relationship cultivated and supported. The interests and preferences of the parent or caregiver in the mentoring relationship may receive little attention. In this study, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with primary caregivers (N = 20) of early adolescent girls participating in a Big Brothers Big Sisters community-based mentoring program to explore reasons why they wanted mentors for their daughters. Thematic analysis revealed that caregivers expected mentors to support their daughters as trusted companions, confidants, and conduits to opportunities and services. In addition, caregivers noted ways in which mentoring offered them respite and reinforced their parenting. The findings highlight the potential value of assessing caregiver perspectives and priorities so that program staff and mentors can partner more effectively with youth and families for successful mentoring experiences.
A B S T R A C T This analysis drew from a study in which child welfare professionals were intervi... more A B S T R A C T This analysis drew from a study in which child welfare professionals were interviewed about their definitions of " well-being " and the barriers and facilitators to promoting well-being in their daily practices. Participants consistently identified an unfortunate irony: that the practices they consider essential to promoting well-being are often constrained by system-wide efforts to ensure compliance with child welfare mandates, including the well-being mandate. The systems' need for data on accountability and compliance was often viewed as anti-thetical to practices of well-being for children and families. During in-depth interviews with 28 child welfare professionals in a large Midwestern city, casework was described as having two key dimensions: social work and paperwork. " Social work " was characterized as the work of building strengths-based relationships with clients. " Paperwork " was characterized as requirements to document practices to ensure compliance with institutional mandates. The latter form of work was often described as diverting time and attention away from the former. However, poignant counterpoints to this characterization of paperwork were provided, illustrating ways that it might facilitate social work. We propose a set of essential questions for future research in the role of paperwork in child welfare practice, including an exploration of what kinds of accountability paperwork enables and how these forms of bureaucratic authorship relate to other forms of communication and relationality in contemporary child welfare systems.
ABSTRACT Social work graduate school programs focusing on clinical practice have traditionally at... more ABSTRACT Social work graduate school programs focusing on clinical practice have traditionally attended less to the profession&#39;s advocacy role. Masters-level clinical social work students, therefore, may not receive adequate training to understand their roles in advocating for or against policies that directly impact their practice. This article proposes a collaborative learning model called ‘Advocacy Week’, which prepares students for a statewide NASW-sponsored Advocacy Day. Using case presentations prepared in collaboration with clinical and policy social work faculty, aspiring clinical social work practitioners are exposed to the relevance of advocacy. Preliminary findings suggest that graduate students exposed to this model become aware of their advocate role as part of their clinical practice, a knowledge which has implications for social work education.
The concept of mentoring youth has a long history dating back nearly 3 millennia to its namesake ... more The concept of mentoring youth has a long history dating back nearly 3 millennia to its namesake character Mentor in Homer&amp;amp;#x27;s Odyssey. Formal mentoring programs, too, have been part of the landscape of community-based efforts to foster positive youth development in this country for nearly a century (Baker &amp;amp;amp; Maguire, 2005). Yet, their remarkable surge in popularity during recent times is clearly unprecedented. More than 4,500 agencies and programs in the United States now provide mentoring services for youth (Rhodes, 2002). ...
Handbook of Prevention and Intervention Programs for Adolescent Girls, Jun 11, 2007
The concept of mentoring youth has a long history dating back nearly 3 millennia to its namesake ... more The concept of mentoring youth has a long history dating back nearly 3 millennia to its namesake character Mentor in Homer's Odyssey. Formal mentoring programs, too, have been part of the landscape of community-based efforts to foster positive youth development in this country for nearly a century (Baker & Maguire, 2005). Yet, their remarkable surge in popularity during recent times is clearly unprecedented. More than 4,500 agencies and programs in the United States now provide mentoring services for youth (Rhodes, 2002). ...
This study examines the experiences of 28 emerging adults (mean age 1⁄4 22; 16 female, 12 male) w... more This study examines the experiences of 28 emerging adults (mean age 1⁄4 22; 16 female, 12 male) who have aged out of the child welfare system in the United States. Findings derived from in-depth interviews focus on the multilevel challenges these young people encounter in the help-seeking process upon aging out of care. Patterns highlight intrapersonal, interpersonal, and systemic barriers to help seeking that limit success of these young people during this developmental transition. These patterns include a sense of help seeking as both essential and inappropriate to development during this period. Patterns also highlight the myriad barriers faced by these young adults as they struggle to connect with critically needed resources during this stage. Implications inform work in child welfare, both with those receiving and providing care, during childhood and throughout the aging out process.
This interpretive study explores the experiences of 44 Midwestern young adults in the process of ... more This interpretive study explores the experiences of 44 Midwestern young adults in the process of aging out of foster care. This paper highlights the degree to which they endorse self-reliance as they reflect on past experiences, offer advice to foster youth, and identify barriers to achieving their own life goals. Findings suggest that this identity must be understood in multiple contexts including societal expectations of independence and autonomy, foster-care and family of origin as developmental contexts, and current scholarship on youth aging out of care. We argue that vigilant self-reliance can be a source of resilience but also a potential risk in facilitating the very connections to supportive relationships that research suggests can produce positive outcomes in adulthood. This article advances a holistic life course perspective [Stein, M. & Wade, J. (2000). Helping care leavers: Problems and strategic responses. London: HMSO.] on the development of independence and self-reliance in adulthood to expand current conceptualizations of these and more recent ideals of interdependence promoted in child welfare policy and practice.
The aims of this study were to examine the mentoring and social network experiences of Latino you... more The aims of this study were to examine the mentoring and social network experiences of Latino youth during the high school transition. A mixed-methods approach was used to examine participants' natural mentoring relationships before and after the transition along with the broader social networks of youth. A total of 32 Latino participants completed quantitative surveys before the high school transition and then participated in qualitative interviews 1 year later. Having a mentor at Time 1 predicted having a mentor at Time 2. Findings revealed three mentoring groups: participants with mentors at both time points, participants with a mentor at one time point, and nonmentored participants. Participants who had mentors at both time points had rich and varied social networks, whereas participants in the other two groups had limited social networks with little support. Implications and future directions for mentoring research and programs are discussed.
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