Program Goals/Target Population
The Better Futures program is designed to increase higher education participation among youths in foster care who have mental health conditions. Eligible participants are those 1) in the guardianship of the state foster care system, 2) living within the project’s geographic area, 3) in high school or a GED program and 1 or 2 years away from completion of secondary education, 4) identified as experiencing a significant mental health condition (defined by receiving special education services for an emotional disability, taking psychotropic medication, living in a therapeutic setting, or receiving mental health counseling), and 5) if living in a locked facility, must be allowed to leave the facility with project staff to participate in program activities. Additionally, they must indicate that they are not opposed to exploring college or vocational school options, and that they have not yet applied.
Program Components
The Better Futures program is delivered over a 10-month period and consists of three components: 1) a 4-day, 3-night Summer Institute on a university campus, 2) individual, bimonthly peer-coaching sessions in identifying and pursuing self-defined postsecondary and related goals, and 3) five mentoring workshops with peer coaches and professionals with expertise in foster care, mental health, and postsecondary education. The intervention begins with one or two peer-coaching meetings to orient participants to the intervention and help them generate initial thoughts about postsecondary education.
During the Summer Institute, youths live in university dorms and participate in a variety of experiences with near peers, college or vocational education representatives, and other professionals. They may take part in informational sessions, activities (e.g., tours of the university and/or community college campus), and facilitated discussions of higher education preparation, mental health, accommodation needs, and transition resources. Speakers include successful college students with lived experience in foster care and/or with mental health issues and professionals from the local child welfare agency, school district, community college, and university. Peer coaches provide informal debriefing and coaching to youths after informational sessions and they may additionally connect informally during evening social activities. At the conclusion of the Summer Institute, youths share their short-term goals for the coming months and identify activities to work on with their peer coaches during the remainder of the program. A permanent peer coach is then assigned to each youth based on the youth’s interests and personality. A formal graduation and certificate ceremony also provides an opportunity for youths to experience positive recognition for their participation.
Following the Summer Institute, the peer coach meets with the youth’s caseworker and/or foster parent to provide an in-depth orientation to the coaching process, confirm contact information, establish a meeting schedule, and answer questions. Coaching sessions usually take place during unscheduled time at school or a neighborhood location of the youth’s choosing. These individualized, one-on-one peer-coaching sessions occur approximately twice a month for 9 months, with an average of 90 minutes per meeting (a minimum of 27 hours total). Coaches support youths in working toward their goals and managing barriers, including identifying postsecondary goals, strategies, and supports to reach these goals, discussing solutions to barriers, and carrying out activities needed to achieve goals. Coaches also support youths’ engagement in 17 activities considered central to successful postsecondary preparation (e.g., visiting a college or vocational program, reviewing a high school transcript). They also help youths in applying 11 self-determination skills (e.g., identifying personal strengths, exploring future dreams). Coaching sessions can also be supplemented by periodic texting, phone calls, and social network communications. Because peer coaching is tailored to the individual needs of each youth, coaches keep track of the skills and experiences introduced to the youths, the nature of their interactions, and how key elements of the intervention are being implemented (relationship, didactic, and experiential). In addition, coaches and youth discuss and prepare for the program to end.
Five workshops are organized by peer coaches and other project staff. Youths are asked to attend at least four of the five workshops, to provide them with some scheduling flexibility. Mentoring workshops bring together youths and their coaches for discussions and experiences around relevant topics, including an overview of the college application process, review of the senior timeline for college application activities, mental health and self-care, and transition services and resources. All of the workshops also include foster care alumni and/or professionals who present information on a given workshop topic, help youths with activities such as scholarship and college admission essay writing; and provide opportunities for informal networking while participating in a fun activity (e.g., dining and bowling).
Key Personnel
An intervention manager provides program oversight as well as training, ongoing supervision, and support to peer coaches and other staff. Peer coaching is provided by young adults (under the age of 28) who are in higher education. In addition to providing one-on-one coaching to youths, peer coaches facilitate workshops and assist with the Summer Institute. Peer coaches are recruited from the local university and/or community college, and receive about 40 hours of initial training in a variety of areas, including foster care, mental health, secondary education, postsecondary issues, support strategies, and resources related to accessing higher education. Coaches participate in weekly individual and group supervision meetings and ongoing telephone support, which is facilitated by the intervention manager. Important qualifications for peer coaches include shared experience with program participants around foster care and/or mental health, experience as a postsecondary student, and positive perspectives regarding the value of postsecondary education (Phillips et al. 2015). Coaches need to be able to provide a consistent, accepting, strengths-based, and transparent relationship presence.
Program Theory
The Better Futures program is grounded in self-determination theory, which posits that an individual’s motivation, behavioral self-regulation, personality development, and well-being are influenced by an inherent predisposition for growth and integration as well as the satisfaction of basic psychological needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy (Ryan and Deci 2000). By providing supportive conditions that enhance participants’ motivational tendencies and satisfy their psychological needs (e.g., support from older peer coaches, information and experiential activities that support learning and success related to higher education goals, and self-determination skills development), the program is expected to enhance participants’ self-determination (defined as ”having the power to make decisions, to direct one’s actions, to affiliate with chosen allies, and to exercise rights and responsibilities”) related to higher education goals.
