Enrollment in an Established System of Care: A Replication and Extension of Clinical Profiles at Service Intake

We replicated Rosenblatt et al.'s (1998) cluster analysis of intake profiles of youth enrolled in a system of care program. The characteristics of a unique sample of 275 children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) who participated in the Santa Barbara County Multiagency Integrated System of Care (MISC) program were examined. A two-step clustering procedure (hierarchical and K-means) was used to evaluate subtypes of youth who were opened to MISC after it had become a stable youth-service program. The results of the Rosenblatt et al. (1998) study were replicated with four identical clusters emerging: Troubled, Troubled and Troubling, Troubling, and At-Risk. Two additional clusters were differentiated: Moderate Troubled, and Moderate Troubled and Troubling. Comparisons across these six clusters show distinct profiles of youth with E/BD. Implications of these findings for developing appropriate service plans and for evaluating systems of care outcomes are discussed.     

Young homeless drug users—ways of coping with harassment

This paper explores young homeless drug users' ways of coping with harassment. Discussions of coping and harassment are based on the cognitive appraisal model. Coping accounts were essentially problem‐focused and action‐oriented. Results indicate the need for more policy developments to prevent homelessness and for specific interventions around homelessness and harassment. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Digging beneath the surface: Results from stage one of a qualitative analysis of factors influencing the well-being of trans youth in Quebec

ABSTRACT

Background: The literature on trans youth has been dominated by etiological studies interested in trans experience as a medical phenomenon. An emerging body of literature has begun to document that trans youth are a diverse, vulnerable, yet resilient population, and to investigate the role of various sites of support such as the family, peer groups, institutions, and community spaces in contributing to or impeding trans youth's well-being.

Method: This article presents the results of Stage One of interviews (n = 24) conducted for a Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) qualitative research project based in Quebec. It studies the factors that enhance trans youth's well-being as well as the factors of oppression that negatively affect it. This paper offers a brief overview of the anti-oppressive methodology used for this project, emphasizing how CBPAR was combined with Grounded Theory (GT) methods to encourage the direct involvement of communities and the translation of knowledge into action.

Results: We present preliminary categories emerging through the ongoing axial coding process. These categories address trans youth's experiences in and perceptions of various “sites”: 1) healthcare services both for gender-related and general care, 2) other institutional spaces, 3) the family and other social circles, and 4) community spaces.

Conclusion: While much of this study's results support existing evidence on trans youth's experiences, they also provide a more nuanced portrayal of the complex ways in which recognition, as well as non-, mis-, or mal-recognition, influence trans youth's well-being at different sites. We also argue that recognition itself must be considered through the lens of intersectionality.     

The Effects of Child Abuse on the Self-System

Abstract

Normal development of aspects of the self-system in terms of the I- and Me-self are discussed. These concepts are then applied to research findings from abused children and youth where damage to the self is noted in terms of its negativity, fractionation, and lack of coherence, natural consequences of dealing with severe and prolonged maltreatment. Comments are also made concerning the nature of parenting in maltreating homes that enhances this damage.     

Pope Francis: a pastor according to the heart of Christ

Catholic Canon Law stipulates that the Pope is ‘the pastor of the universal Church on earth’. Pope Francis took up the challenge which this statement poses to those exercising the Petrine ministry by asking for prayers that he might be ‘a pastor according to the heart of Christ’. How is a Pope ‘a pastor according to the heart of Christ’? What particular opportunities does the Petrine ministry offer for this? What are the pastoral aspects of the papacy? What does it seem we can expect from Pope Francis in this regard? As this article shows, the task of ‘a pastor according to the heart of Christ’ has an impact on several aspects of the implementation of the Petrine ministry, such as using the Pope’s power in the service of unity, encouraging collegiality in communion as the visible centre of the entire Christian Church in dialogue with other religions, that the world may believe.     

Diakonia and diaconate in the World Council of Churches

Since the World Council of Churches (WCC) was founded in 1948 both diakonia and diaconate have been on the agenda of the organisation. As time has passed the understanding of these concepts has changed, and the theological importance given to them has varied due to external and internal factors. In this article I shall describe this development. My basic hypothesis is that the reflection on diakonia and diaconate has followed two separate tracks, the first considering diakonia as inter-church aid in contexts of human need, while the entry point of the second has been the ecumenical perception of the Church's ministry and within it a possible renewal of the diaconate. It is my hypothesis that these two tracks to a large degree have not been interrelated, but have mainly been isolated from each other. In my opinion this has limited the reflection on both concepts, and consequently both have lost momentum in ecumenical theology.     

Youth purpose during the great recession: A mixed-methods study

ABSTRACT

Although research reveals purpose can buffer youth from negative states in other contexts, little is known about how youth with purpose function amidst significant economic challenges. This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study, conducted with a sample of Greek youth during the Great Recession, sought to determine (1) if the presence of purpose buffered youth from the potentially demoralizing effects of the economic crisis, and if so, (2) how it managed to do so. Survey results suggest youth with high purpose scores were resilient enough to look past the present challenges and envision a positive future. Qualitative findings suggest youth with purpose remained hopeful about the future by focusing on commitments to their friends, families, communities, and country, and at times, by tuning out the negative economic news. Implications of these findings for positive youth development are discussed.     

Evaluation of a Disease-Specific Self-Efficacy Instrument in Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease and its Relationship to Adjustment

The psychometric properties of a disease-specific instrument used to assess self-efficacy in adolescents with sickle cell disease, the Sickle Cell Self-Efficacy Scale, were evaluated in a sample of 131 adolescents ranging from 11 to 19 years of age. This nine-item instrument was associated with a one-item, general self-efficacy question and an item of self-control. After controlling for age, gender, highest grade of education completed, and the number of individuals in the household, high levels of self-efficacy were related to fewer physical, psychological, and total symptoms. Using the stress process framework to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and self-reported symptoms in adolescents may lead to the initiation of effective intervention programs capable of increasing levels of self-efficacy in adolescents. These interventions could lead to better outcomes for adolescents with sickle cell disease. Additional longitudinal investigations are needed to evaluate the ability of self-efficacy to predict adolescent adjustment over time.     

Mentoring Relationships and Programs for Youth

ABSTRACT— Mentoring is one of the most popular social interventions in American society, with an estimated three million youth in formal one-to-one relationships. Studies have revealed significant associations between youth involvement in mentoring relationships and positive developmental outcomes. These associations are modest, however, and depend on several intervening processes. Centrally important is the formation of close, enduring connections between mentors and youth that foster positive developmental change. Effects of mentoring programs likewise typically have been small in magnitude, but they increase systematically with the use of program practices likely to support relationship development. Gaps between research and practice are evident both in the indiscriminate use of the term mentoring in the prevention field and in a focus on the growth and efficiency of mentoring programs at the expense of quality. Continued expansion of effective mentoring will require a better alignment of research and practice.