Trauma Treatment for Youth in Foster Care: A Mixed-Methods Study of Clinician Perspectives and Treatment Model Use

Youth in foster care experience trauma exposure and subsequent trauma-related disorders at much higher rates than their peers, with prevalence rates comparable with veterans of war. Although youth in foster care appear to receive services at higher rates than their peers, little is known about what outpatient care consists of, particularly for trauma-related disorders. Furthermore, although several evidence-based treatments exist for the treatment of child and adolescent trauma, little is known about how appropriate and effective existing treatment approaches are for youth in foster care. The current study used a mixed methods approach to examine a) the range of evidence-based approaches used by clinicians treating youth in foster care who have trauma symptoms, b) barriers and facilitators to treating this population, c) clinician attitudes toward evidence-based treatments (EBTs), and d) adaptations made to existing trauma treatments. Barriers and facilitators were assessed based on concepts outlined in the Exploration. Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) framework (Aarons et al., 2011). These topics were assessed by a brief quantitative survey and a semi-structured qualitative interview. Participants (N = 148) were mental health clinicians with master’s (n = 126) and doctoral degrees (n = 22), primarily in social work (n = 106). A majority (91%) of providers reported using at least one evidence-based treatment (EBT) when working with youth in foster. Providers also reported using a number of treatment models with limited empirical support for the treatment of child trauma, such as client-centered play therapy (n = 68), art therapy (n = 68), and individual mind-body skills (n = 86). Quantitatively, providers reported encountering barriers (n = 127) more than facilitators (n = 50) when working with youth in foster care. Working with youth in foster care was widely described as more challenging than treating their typical caseload (n = 111) or other clients with trauma symptoms (n = 109). Participants reported most barriers to treating youth in foster care were related to outer contextual factors (i.e., external variables defined in the EPIS framework), such as working with caseworkers (n = 91), working with court systems (n = 77), and working with biological caregivers (n = 91). Conversely, providers described inner contextual variables (i.e., internal variables defined in the EPIS framework) as facilitators, such as agency policies and support (n = 68) and clinician practices (n = 89). Total scores on a measure of evidence-based practice attitudes (EBPAS) were higher than community samples (M = 2.86, SD = 0.53). Qualitatively, providers reported making modifications to existing trauma treatments, such as eliminating narration and increasing an emphasis on feeling identification, which may lead to drops in efficacy. Providers described existing treatment models as appropriate and effective with youth in foster care but indicated that external challenges prevent model use. Implications for policymakers, stakeholders, and implementation developers include capitalizing on widely disseminated interventions, considering the fit between provider theoretical orientation and model theory, and adapting existing interventions to match the needs of youth in foster care

Predicting unmet need for social care

Context: Demographic and other pressures have placed strains on the social (long-term) care systems in many countries. An ageing population and cuts to local authority budgets have put pressure on the availability of local authority funded adult social care in England and have raised concerns about unmet social care needs among older people. To prevent care needs going unmet, it is crucial to understand their predictors. However, research on this topic is limited. Objective(s): To understand the predictors of unmet needs for adult social care in England. Method(s): Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2002–2012), we employed an activities-based approach to develop a definition of unmet social care needs, drawing on available data, previous literature and consultations with social care users and carers. We then used logistic regression to analyse the factors that predict developing an unmet care need over a 10-year period among a sample of those aged 50 and older. Findings: The likelihood of developing unmet care needs does not differ by factors like gender, wealth, social contact, education or health behaviours. The only significant predictors for unmet needs are living alone, being relatively young (though still over 50), not having a longstanding illness, losing a spouse and developing more severe needs. These findings are robust to a variety of model specifications. Limitations: Results of this analysis may be sensitive to the definition of unmet need employed. Implications: These findings contribute to the current debate on the funding and organisation of adult social care in England and will inform policymakers interested in addressing the issue of unmet social care needs among older people

Learning from the Experiences of Collegiate Athletes Living through a Season- or Career-Ending Injury

An athlete’s identity is often related to the goals of their team and their ability to achieve excellence in sport. A threat to an athlete’s identity is a season- or career-ending injury. Athletes can respond to season- or career-ending injuries in ways detrimental to their psychosocial well-being (Ivarsson, Tranaeus, Johnson, & Stenling 2017). This study built upon existing knowledge by seeking to better understand the lived experiences of Division I collegiate athletes who experienced a season- or career-ending injury. There is a need for ongoing recommendations for helping athletes process their injuries. Researchers used a descriptive phenomenological approach. Researchers interviewed ten college athletes who experienced a season- or career-ending injury. Themes included: (1) physical and emotional stress, (2) resistance to resiliency, (3) importance of relationships with others, and (4) appreciation and cultivation for new possibilities outside of sport. This research provided insight for behavioral health professionals on injury response. This included the need for Posttraumatic Growth responses such as (1) building strong support pre- and post-injury, (2) recognizing healthy coping mechanisms, (3) cultivating new identities for athletes, (4) helping an athlete with identity loss, (5) helping athletes recognize new possibilities post-injury, and (6) helping an athlete maintain an appreciation for life

From Farm Results Demonstrations to Multistate Impact Designs: Cooperative Extension Navigates its Way Through Evaluation Pathways

This article explores how evaluation has been developed and expanded within the Cooperative Extension system, from the beginning of agricultural education in America in 1800 to the present day. Important periods across the history of Extension evaluation have been identified and categorized according to major themes and significant contributions of Extension individuals and organizations. Challenges for the future of evaluation within Extension are discussed

A Bayesian technique for improving the sensitivity of the atmospheric neutrino L/E analysis

This paper outlines a method for improving the precision of atmospheric neutrino oscillation measurements. One experimental signature for these oscillations is an observed deficit in the rate of $\nu_{\mu}$ charged-current interactions with an oscillatory dependence on $L_{\nu}/E_{\nu}$, where $L_{\nu}$ is the neutrino propagation distance, and $E_{\nu}$ is the neutrino energy. For contained-vertex atmospheric neutrino interactions, the $L_{\nu}/E_{\nu}$ resolution varies significantly from event to event. The precision of the oscillation measurement can be improved by incorporating information on $L_{\nu}/E_{\nu}$ resolution into the oscillation analysis. In the analysis presented here, a Bayesian technique is used to estimate the $L_{\nu}/E_{\nu}$ resolution of observed atmospheric neutrinos on an event-by-event basis. By separating the events into bins of $L_{\nu}/E_{\nu}$ resolution in the oscillation analysis, a significant improvement in oscillation sensitivity can be achieved.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Nucl. Instrum. Methods A, accompanies arXiv:1208.2915 [hep-ex

Predicting unmet need for social care

Context: Demographic and other pressures have placed strains on the social (long-term) care systems in many countries. An ageing population and cuts to local authority budgets have put pressure on the availability of local authority funded adult social care in England and have raised concerns about unmet social care needs among older people. To prevent care needs going unmet, it is crucial to understand their predictors. However, research on this topic is limited. Objective(s): To understand the predictors of unmet needs for adult social care in England. Method(s): Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2002–2012), we employed an activities-based approach to develop a definition of unmet social care needs, drawing on available data, previous literature and consultations with social care users and carers. We then used logistic regression to analyse the factors that predict developing an unmet care need over a 10-year period among a sample of those aged 50 and older. Findings: The likelihood of developing unmet care needs does not differ by factors like gender, wealth, social contact, education or health behaviours. The only significant predictors for unmet needs are living alone, being relatively young (though still over 50), not having a longstanding illness, losing a spouse and developing more severe needs. These findings are robust to a variety of model specifications. Limitations: Results of this analysis may be sensitive to the definition of unmet need employed. Implications: These findings contribute to the current debate on the funding and organisation of adult social care in England and will inform policymakers interested in addressing the issue of unmet social care needs among older people

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: measuring radio galaxy bias through cross-correlation with lensing

We correlate the positions of radio galaxies in the FIRST survey with the cosmic microwave background lensing convergence estimated from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope over 470 deg2 to determine the bias of these galaxies. We remove optically cross-matched sources below redshiftz = 0.2 to preferentially select active galactic nuclei (AGN). We measure the angular cross-power spectrum Cκgl at 4.4σ significance in the multipole range 100 \u3c l \u3c 3000, corresponding to physical scales within ≈2–60 Mpc at an effective redshift zeff = 1.5. Modelling the AGN population with a redshift-dependent bias, the cross-spectrum is well fitted by the Planck best-fitting Λ cold dark matter cosmological model. Fixing the cosmology and assumed redshift distribution of sources, we fit for the overall bias model normalization, finding b(zeff) = 3.5 ± 0.8 for the full galaxy sample and b(zeff) = 4.0 ± 1.1(3.0 ± 1.1) for sources brighter (fainter) than 2.5 mJy. This measurement characterizes the typical halo mass of radio-loud AGN: we find log(Mhalo/M⊙)=13.6+0.3−0.4

Murder She Wrote: Death and Drama in Nesting Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers serve a vital role as a keystone species in their respective biome by excavating nesting cavities that are in turn used by numerous forest birds and animals. These secondary cavity nesters rely heavily on the success of primary nesters in order to ensure their own reproductive success. Unfortunately numerous woodpeckers, such as the Black-backed (Picoides arcticus) and White-headed Woodpeckers (Picoides albolarvatus), have seen a large decline in numbers and are now considered a threatened species. Inability for these woodpeckers to reproduce creates a top-down trophic cascade in their biome. In an effort to better understand how nesting success is impacted by the behaviors of woodpeckers, predators, and secondary cavity nesters at the nest, sixty-five different nests were filmed for over 15,000 hours in the Eastern Washington Cascades during the 2015 and 2016 breeding seasons. We have watched and scored close to 400 hours of footage and have documented aggressive takeover by secondary cavity nesters, predation of nest chicks, and even human disturbance of nests. By better understanding the ecological pressures woodpeckers face and identifying what factors contribute to successful nesting, proper measures can be taken to maintain healthy levels of woodpecker populations

Hydrodynamic attraction of swimming microorganisms by surfaces

Cells swimming in confined environments are attracted by surfaces. We measure the steady-state distribution of smooth-swimming bacteria (Escherichia coli) between two glass plates. In agreement with earlier studies, we find a strong increase of the cell concentration at the boundaries. We demonstrate theoretically that hydrodynamic interactions of the swimming cells with solid surfaces lead to their re-orientation in the direction parallel to the surfaces, as well as their attraction by the closest wall. A model is derived for the steady-state distribution of swimming cells, which compares favorably with our measurements. We exploit our data to estimate the flagellar propulsive force in swimming E. coli