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Increasing Youth Engagement in Residential Group Care: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study of a Youth-Guided Incentive Program

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Abstract

Background

Lack of engagement in child welfare services is a salient issue impeding client outcomes. Research findings indicate that providing incentives may be a promising strategy for enhancing client engagement.

Objective

In response to low youth engagement and repeated re-entry into care, a Southeastern child welfare agency developed an incentive program aimed at increasing youths’ participation and success in meeting treatment goals. This mixed methods study examined elements of effective implementation and the effectiveness of the incentive program piloted in a group home serving adolescent boys (n = 16).

Method

A semi-structured focus group with service providers (n = 7) was used to inform the development of the pilot incentive program. We used a time-series design to measure youth perceptions of the therapeutic alliance with their therapists and weekly goal attainment. Baseline data was collected for 6 weeks (phase one) followed by 6 weeks of the incentive program (phase two).

Results

Results of qualitative analyses revealed four themes related to therapeutic engagement, and two themes related to intervention implementation. Providers emphasized the importance of youth-driven care and building a strong therapeutic alliance. Findings also suggest that staff buy-in is critical to the success of intervention implementation. These results, along with suggested strategies for effective implementation, informed the development of the piloted incentive program. Results of simulation modeling analyses of time series data showed significant increases in therapeutic alliances and goal attainment following the incentive program.

Conclusions

This study provides preliminary support for the use of incentive programs to facilitate youth engagement in residential programs.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Florida Institute for Child Welfare (Grant Number 036331).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Social Work, Florida State University, 296 Champions Way, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA

    Shamra Boel-Studt, Lisa Schelbe, Megan Deichen Hansen & Lauren Tobia

Authors
  1. Shamra Boel-Studt
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  2. Lisa Schelbe
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  3. Megan Deichen Hansen
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  4. Lauren Tobia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shamra Boel-Studt.

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Conflict of interest

None of the authors of this paper has competing interest, financial or otherwise, in any of the findings of this study.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in this study.

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Boel-Studt, S., Schelbe, L., Deichen Hansen, M. et al. Increasing Youth Engagement in Residential Group Care: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study of a Youth-Guided Incentive Program. Child Youth Care Forum 47, 863–880 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-018-9465-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-018-9465-y

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