...
...
| ABSTRACT: The partners in this project have been working together and meeting with community leaders in West Baltimore over the past year with the overall mission of improving the quality of life for youth receiving foster care services. The result of these deliberations is the proposed demonstration program targeted to youth in foster care in zip code 21217 (Baltimore City). The partnership goals include providing mental health training and support for the youth, their foster and biological families, and public agency staffs responsible for providing foster care and education. The demonstration program will encompass the following: workshops and support for the families, the associated foster care agency staff, and school staff (including teachers and guidance counselors); mental health services for youth in the school setting, which include support services and an intervention specifically developed for trauma-exposed adolescents; a mentoring program led by neighborhood churches and community organizations; and dedicated services by members of public and community-based agencies serving this neighborhood. Youth in foster care who attend Harlem Park or Booker T. Washington Middle School and their families will be eligible to participate in the initiative. The eligible youth will be identified initially by the Department of Human Resources as foster care youth. After the youth are identified, the youth’s caseworker and foster parents will be contacted and informed of the intervention to determine if they are interested in participating. Consent for participation will be obtained from both the caseworker and the foster parents, and assent will be obtained from the youth. A project steering committee will be established at the beginning of the project to provide oversight throughout the project’s duration. Participants in the steering committee will be drawn primarily from the lead partners in the project and the Faith-Community Partnership The goal of the Faith-Community Partnership (FCP) is to build a community in West Baltimore of families, youth and a consortium of faith, education, health, mental health, and social service organizations that will focus on promoting the school and life success of its youth and community residents. A diverse Community Advisory Board of families, youth, congregants from churches, child and adolescent system (education, mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice) staff and leaders, government officials, business leaders and advocates guide the development of the community and coordinate outreach and broad training initiatives. The project steering committee will also include youth currently in foster care or who have recently aged out, and family representatives.PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Michael Lindsey, PhD Co-INVESTIGATORS: Mark D. Weist, PhD, Dana Cunningham, PhD FUNDING SOURCE: Baltimore Community Foundation (in review) AMOUNT OF FUNDING: Pending PROJECT DATES: 2007-2009
|
