moving into adulthood IMPLEMENTATION FINDINGS FROM THE YOUTH VILLAGES TRANSITIONAL LIVING EVALUATION Michelle Manno Erin Jacobs Julianna Alson Melanie Skemer March 2014 Moving into Adulthood Implementation Findings from the Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation Michelle Manno Erin Jacobs Julianna Alson Melanie Skemer March 2014 MDRC’s evaluation of the Youth Villages Transitional Living program is being funded through grants from The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Dissemination of MDRC publications is supported by the following funders that help finance MDRC’s public policy outreach and expanding efforts to communicate the results and implications of our work to policymakers, practitioners, and others: The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, Sandler Foundation, and The Starr Foundation. In addition, earnings from the MDRC Endowment help sustain our dissemination efforts. Contribu- tors to the MDRC Endowment include Alcoa Foundation, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, An- heuser-Busch Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Ford Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The Grable Foundation, The Lizabeth and Frank Newman Charitable Foundation, The New York Times Company Foundation, Jan Nicholson, Paul H. O’Neill Charitable Foundation, John S. Reed, Sandler Foundation, and The Stupski Family Fund, as well as other individual contributors. The findings and conclusions in this report do not necessarily represent the official positions or poli- cies of the funders. The photographs on the cover of this report were furnished by the Youth Villages Communication Department. For information about MDRC and copies of our publications, see our Web site: www.mdrc.org. ® Copyright © 2014 by MDRC . All rights reserved. Overview The Youth Villages Transitional Living program is intended to help youth who were formerly in foster care or juvenile justice custody, or who are otherwise unprepared for adult life, to make the transition to independent living. Youth Villages, which serves emotionally and behaviorally troubled young people, operates a number of programs in addition to Transitional Living. All of its programs are based on a set of core principles that emphasize treatment planning, systematic assessment of participating youth, and delivery of only evidence-informed practices within a highly structured supervisory system. Transitional Living clients receive intensive, individualized, and clinically focused and commu- nity-based case management, support, and counseling from staff who carry caseloads of about eight clients each. Youth eligibility is determined through an extensive recruitment and assess- ment process. Once youth are enrolled, Transitional Living staff continue to assess them to identify needs and work with them to develop goals, which become the basis of required weekly meetings. Over nine months, on average, program participants get support for education, hous- ing, mental or physical health, employment, and life skills. This support is provided in a variety of forms, including action-oriented activities that involve completing a specific task during a weekly session or through more traditional counseling techniques. The Transitional Living Evaluation is focused exclusively on the program in Tennessee, al- though Youth Villages also has Transitional Living programs in six other states. Key Findings • Variation in the local context across Tennessee shaped the experiences of youth who partic- ipated in the evaluation. Resources that can be limited or challenging to navigate, particular- ly in rural areas, include access to transportation, employers, and social service providers. • Staff interviews and analysis of the management information system indicated that the Transitional Living program was implemented in accordance with the program model, with the frequency and duration of Transitional Living services close to expected levels. • Participation levels in the Transitional Living program were high, and youth were engaged in services soon after being assigned to receive them. Staff discussed a wide range of topics with their cases and made contact with other adults who were involved in each youth’s life. A report presenting the impacts of the program after one year is planned for release in 2015. iii Contents Overview iii List of Exhibits vii Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Executive Summary ES-1 Chapter 1 Introduction and Background 1 Young Adults with Histories of Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Custody 4 National Policy Context 5 Tennessee Policy Context 7 Service Models for Young Adults with Foster Care or Juvenile Justice Histories 9 Youth Villages and the Transitional Living Program 12 The Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation 15 Roadmap to the Report 19 2 Local Context and Service Environment 21 The Youth Villages Transitional Living Program in Tennessee 21 Resources Available Through Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services 30 The Control Group’s Service Receipt 31 Conclusion 32 3 Youth Villages and the Transitional Living Program 33 Overview of Youth Villages 33 History and Development of the Transitional Living Program 41 Transitional Living Staffing Structure 42 The Youth Villages Transitional Living Program Model 45 Conclusion 55 4 Study Recruitment and Enrollment 57 Study Recruitment and Assessment of Eligibility 57 Random Assignment and Enrollment 66 Characteristics of Study Participants 67 Conclusion 74 v 5 Implementation of the Youth Villages Transitional Living Program 77 Overview of Service Delivery 77 Transitional Living Sessions: The “What” 78 Transitional Living Sessions: The “How” 91 Conclusion 98 6 Participation in Transitional Living Services 99 Length of Participation in the Transitional Living Program 99 Participation in Key Transitional Living Program Services 101 Participation in Transitional Living Sessions 105 Participation in Other Transitional Living Services 109 Conclusion 114 7 Discussion 117 Transitional Living Program Model 117 Key Implementation Findings 118 Factors That Facilitated the Implementation of the Transitional Living Program 119 Challenges to Implementing the Transitional Living Program 120 Context of Program Operations and Implications for Implementation in Other Locations 121 Are the Evaluation Findings Generalizable? 123 Appendix A Sample Treatment Plan 125 References 131 vi List of Exhibits Table 2.1 Characteristics of Select Youth Villages Office Service Areas 23 4.1 Characteristics of Sample Members at Baseline 69 4.2 State Custody History of Sample Members at Baseline 73 6.1 Participation in Transitional Living Services, Months 1 to 9 102 6.2 Participation in Weekly Transitional Living Sessions, Months 1 to 9 106 6.3 Weekly Transitional Living Session Topics, Months 1 to 9 107 6.4 Contacts Between Youth and Transitional Living Specialists in Addition to Weekly Transitional Living Sessions, Months 1 to 9 110 6.5 Program Participants’ Receipt of Support Payments, Months 1 to 9 112 6.6 Transitional Living Specialists’ Contact with Third Parties, Months 1 to 9 114 Figure ES.1 The Youth Villages Transitional Living Program Model ES-5 1.1 The Youth Villages Transitional Living Program Model 13 2.1 Population Density in Youth Villages Office Service Areas in Tennessee, by County 22 3.1 Youth Villages Partial Staffing Chart 36 3.2 Fishbone Diagram for Addressing Lack of Employment 40 3.3 Transitional Living Staffing Chart for One Region 43 3.4 Transitional Living Key Practice Elements 49 4.1 Youth Villages Transitional Living Study Assessment Process 61 5.1 Fishbone Diagram for Addressing Alcohol and Drug Use 95 6.1 Monthly Participation in Transitional Living Services 100 A.1 Sample Treatment Plan 127 vii Box 3.1 Sample Activities of a Transitional Living Specialist 47 4.1 Life Before Youth Villages Transitional Living: A Sample of Program Participants’ Histories 68 5.1 A Sample Transitional Living Session 79 5.2 Evidence-Informed Practices Approved by Youth Villages and Used in the Transitional Living Program 81 5.3 Services Received in Transitional Living: A Success Story 84 viii