The Functional Assessment Interview for Runaways (FAIR): An Assessment Tool to Assist with Behavior Support Plan Development to Reduce Runaway Behavior

Abstract

Youth in foster care are twice as likely to run away from living situations as compared to those of the same age in the general population. When youth are on the run from a living situation, they are at a high risk for being exposed to abuse and neglect or engaging in criminal behavior. One approach to support youth who run is to identify the function of their behavior and then implement interventions that match the function. The Functional Assessment Interview for Runways (FAIR) is an idiosyncratic assessment tool that seeks to identify the function of runaway behavior specific to youth involved with the foster care system. This article provides a summary of the literature related to runaway behavior, the implications for function based interventions, and instructions for administering the FAIR.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Functional Assessment Interview for Runaways (FAIR)

Interview Introduction

You may recall when ____ spoke with you after you returned from your run, that I wanted a chance to talk with you as well. If it’s okay with you, I would like to understand what might be done to improve your situation to better meet your need and interests. The more I can understand what’s good and what’s not good about your placement, school, friends, and others who you’ve close to, the better I’ll be able to help you have the kind of situation you might like better. At the end of the interview you and I will review this information and begin developing a plan that identifies things that both of us can do over the next few days and weeks to see about improving your situation. I cannot guarantee that you will get everything that you won’t, but I promise to do my best to try to get as much accomplished as possible for you and expect this plan to help make things better for you. Are you game for us to talk to see what we can do together?

Health

1. How are you feeling/doing? Tell me about your health. What health concerns are you having?

• Do you need to see a doctor?

Run Experience

2. What things are good for you when on the run?

• What are some of the things you did for fun while you were on the run? (e.g., attending different extra curricula activities, visit friends, family, drinking alcohol, smoking, doing drugs, hanging out with friends in park etc.)

• What did you enjoy most when you were on the run? (e.g., freedom, no rules, friends, family)

3. What things are not so good for you while on the run?

• Where did you hang out? (e.g., family, friends, boy/girlfriend, park, etc.)

• What were some of the things that you did not enjoy going through when you were on the run? (e.g., illegal or dangerous activities or situations, hunger, hiding from authorities etc.)

4. Do you think that some of the positive things you just mentioned were the reason why you ran away this time? □Yes □No

5. Which ones/things were most important?

6. What set you off and made you decide to run?

• Did someone say something to set you off?

• What was going on before you ran?

• Was your run planned or compulsive?

• Did you go by yourself or were you with someone else?

Placement

7. Describe what things are/were like for you in the place you ran from?

(NOTE: Placement could be in foster care home; foster care family; foster care group home; shelter etc.)

• What are things like for you living in there?

• What do you like about that placement?

• What things don’t you like about living there? (e.g., staff, other youth in placement, rules, privacy)

8. Do you think that the negative thing(s) you just mentioned are the reason(s) you ran away from your placement? □Yes □No

Family

9. Tell me about the people you feel close to in your family.

10. Describe how your placements have affected you and your relationship with your family.

• Are you living close to your family members (parent(s), sibling(s) and grandparent(s)?

• Are you able to see them as often as you would like? Explain

• Do you feel separated from your family? Explain

11. Do you think that not being with or living close to your family is the reason why you ran away from your placement? □Yes □No

Friends

12. Tell me about the friends you feel close to.

13. Describe how your placements have affected you and your relationships with your friends.

• Are you living close to your friends?

• Are you able to see your friends as often as you would like? Explain.

• Do you feel separated from your friends?

14. Do you think that not being with or living close to your friends is the reason why you ran away from your placement? □Yes □No

Other Connections

15. Tell me about other people you feel close to.

16. Describe how your placements have affected your relationships with other people you feel close to.

• Are you living close to these individuals?

17. Do you think that not being with or living close to these individuals is the reason why you ranaway from your placement? □Yes □No

School

18. Describe what things are like for you in school?

• Have you had to change school as a result of your current placement?

• Did you runaway because your placement put you in a new school and you wanted to go back to your old school?

• How do you get along with your teachers?

• Do you get along with your peers?

• How are your grades in school? Do you need extra help (e.g., tutor, mentor, after school support)?

• What are the areas of concern when it comes to your school grades and progress?

19. Tell me about some of the positive things about your school.

• What are the fun things about school? (e.g., friends, sports activities, school subjects you enjoy, extra curricula-music, art, school clubs)

20. Tell me about some of the negative things about your school.

• What are some of the challenging things about school? (e.g., school work, getting good grades, getting help with challenging subjects, peer pressure, stigma about being in foster care, bullying, teasing, gangs)

21. Do you think that the negative things you just mentioned about school are the reason(s) you ran away from your placement?

Action Plan and Interventions

22. You mentioned a number of different things that made you run away in the past. Please rate each item in priority order of what you’d like to work on. (Rating Scale: 1—highest priority to 5—lowest priority).

Reason why youth ran	Yes	No	Ratings: please circle one 1 = high priority, 2, 3 = medium priority, 4, 5 = low priority
Positive things on run experience	□	□	1 2 3 4 5
Negative things about placement	□	□	1 2 3 4 5
Not living close to family	□	□	1 2 3 4 5
Not living close to friends	□	□	1 2 3 4 5
Not living close to other people/connections	□	□	1 2 3 4 5
Negative things about school	□	□	1 2 3 4 5

23. What are some things that we might consider to make things better so you won’t choose to run away again?

Based on the identified factors that contribute to the run behavior, identify the “changes” that might be considered to improve the following indicators of youth progress and outcomes:

1.
2.
3.
4.

• (a) Reduce run behavior-help deter youth from running away again.

• (b) Stabilize youth placement –make it more likely that they will stay in a safe living situation.

• (c) Improve youth’s school attendance and progress-e.g., school grades, behavior, and attendance

• (d) Improve youth’s social and behavioral outcomes-makes youth more positively engaged with their peers and other adult allies in their lives.

What I’d like to do now is spend some time with you thinking about things we can work on together to help you be more comfortable or happier in your placement. This MIGHT include changing placement, but it often also includes sorting out other things that are going on in your life. Here are a couple of examples. What are some things we should work on?

Initial Plan

Goal (Example)	Activity	Responsible person	Follow up
1. Discuss rules change	Contact group home staff to talk about rule change	Case Manager/Interviewer	Case Manager will call youth in 2 days
2.
3.
4.

Thank You!

Thank you very much for sharing your time and your thoughts with me. Someone from the agency will follow up with you regarding this plan to see if we can get things going in a better direction. If you think of anything else let me or an agency staff now.