Practices and Approaches of Out-of-School Time Programs Serving Immigrant and Refugee Youth

Opportunity to participate in an out-of-school time program may be a meaningful support mechanism towards school success and healthy development for immigrant and refugee children. This study extends existing research on best practices by examining the on-the-ground experiences of supporting immigrant and refugee youth in out-of-school time programs. Findings from semi-structured interviews with program directors in 17 Massachusetts and New Hampshire programs suggest a number of program strategies that were responsive to the needs of immigrant and refugee students, including support for the use of native language as well as English, knowing about and celebrating the heritage of the students’ homeland, including on staff or in leadership individuals with shared immigrant background, and giving consideration to the academic priorities of parents. The development of such intentional approaches to working with immigrant and refugee youth during the out-of-school time hours will encourage enrollment of, and enhance effectiveness with, this vulnerable population

Distal and Proximal Religiosity as Protective Factors for Adolescent and Emerging Adult Alcohol Use

Data from emerging adults (ages 18-29, N = 900) in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Study was used to examine the influence of childhood and emerging adult religiosity and religious-based decision-making, and childhood adversity, on alcohol use. Childhood religiosity was protective against early alcohol use and progression to later abuse or dependence, but did not significantly offset the influence of childhood adversity on early patterns of heavy drinking in adjusted logistic regression models. Religiosity in emerging adulthood was negatively associated with alcohol use disorders. Protective associations for religiosity varied by gender, ethnicity and childhood adversity histories. Higher religiosity may be protective against early onset alcohol use and later development of alcohol problems, thus, should be considered in prevention programming for youth, particularly in faith-based settings. Mental health providers should allow for integration of clients\u27 religiosity and spirituality beliefs and practices in treatment settings if clients indicate such interest

Lifetime Alcohol Abuse Prevalence: Role of Childhood and Adult Religion

Findings presented regarding childhood and adult religiosity/spirituality as protective factors against Lifetime Alcohol Abuse

Practices and Approaches of Out-of-School Time Programs Serving Immigrant and Refugee Youth

Opportunity to participate in an out-of-school time program may be a meaningful support mechanism towards school success and healthy development for immigrant and refugee children. This study extends existing research on best practices by examining the on-the-ground experiences of supporting immigrant and refugee youth in out-of-school time programs. Findings from semi-structured interviews with program directors in 17 Massachusetts and New Hampshire programs suggest a number of program strategies that were responsive to the needs of immigrant and refugee students, including support for the use of native language as well as English, knowing about and celebrating the heritage of the students’ homeland, including on staff or in leadership individuals with shared immigrant background, and giving consideration to the academic priorities of parents. The development of such intentional approaches to working with immigrant and refugee youth during the out-of-school time hours will encourage enrollment of, and enhance effectiveness with, this vulnerable population

Integrating Spirituality and Religious Beliefs in a Mindfulness Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for PTSD with Latinx Unaccompanied Immigrant Children

Abstract: Purpose: Unaccompanied immigrant children (UIC) experience significant mental health concerns, particularly posttraumatic stress. This is a vulnerable population, yet little systematic research has examined the effectiveness of evidence-based models such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to meet their needs. Integrating religious beliefs and spirituality into therapy could elucidate better understandings of traumatic stress, and posttraumatic cognitions when working with UIC with strong faith traditions/beliefs. Methods: We report on modifications made to a pre-existing treatment, consisting of integrating religious and spiritual themes, to engage and work with UIC participants in a pilot study of Mindfulness-Based CBT. Thematic analysis of therapy notes evaluated the implementation process for integrating religious and spiritual themes. Three composite vignettes illustrate how religiosity and spirituality were salient for UIC participants in this pilot study, and how these were integrated into therapy to address posttraumatic cognitions and symptoms. We assessed changes in PTSD symptom severity and posttraumatic cognitions for UIC and in comparison, to non-UIC participants using the Child PTSD Symptom Scale and the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory. Results: Religiosity and spirituality were important for coping and conceptualizations of trauma, served as facilitators for engaging UIC in therapy, and related to improving posttraumatic cognitions and symptoms. Conclusion: Religious identity and spirituality can be important for meaning making, trauma cognitions and symptoms, and can be important to explore in therapy with unaccompanied immigrant children and adolescents. Clinical Trial Registration: Not applicable

Working Paper Series Working Paper Series Working Paper Series Working Paper Series Academic Success and Struggle: A Study of Motivation and Literacy in a Sample of Low-Income 7th Graders Working Paper Series The Wellesley Centers for Women Ordering Infor

The Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) conducts scholarly research and develops sound training and evaluation programs that place women's experiences at the center of its work. WCW focuses on three major areas: The status of women and girls and the advancement of their human rights both in the United States and around the globe; The education, care, and development of children and youth; and The emotional well-being of families and individuals. Issues of diversity and equity are central across all the work as are the experiences and perspectives of women from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. Since 1974, WCW has influenced public policy and programs by ensuring that its work reaches policy makers, practitioners, educators, and other agents of change. The Wellesley Centers for Women is the single organization formed in 1995 by combining the Center for Research on Women (founded 1974) and the Stone Center for Developmental Studies (founded 1981) at Wellesley College. For more information, please visit: www.wcwonline.org. Ordering Information Working Papers and other publications of the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) are available for purchase through the WCW Publications Office. For a complete list of current publications, visit our online catalog at: www.wcwonline.org/publications. In their review of the research on reading motivation, Guthrie and Knowles (2001) describe the tendency for researchers to view motivation as a goal-driven process in which the reader is either intrinsically or extrinsically motivated to read. Readers may seek to read because it is an end in itself, in the enjoyment it provides (Deci, 1992), or because it is a means to an end, such as grades, or rewards Intrinsic motivation has the potential to positively reinforce learning goals, in that the enjoyment and challenge of reading leads to mastery, which is an incentive to continue and expand reading practices. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation may lead to a reliance and undue focus on the reward at the expense of mastery Academic Success and Struggle Wellesley Centers for Women 4 strategies to understand text, tend to have better comprehension and achievement outcomes Much of the research on reading has not found significant gender differences for young readers (Snow, Barnes, & Griffin, 1998) and the same is true in our early findings from the Home-School Study. However, the literature does suggest gender differences with respect to special education identification, retention, and dropping out, with more boys being identified than girls (U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics, 2000Statistics, , 2001. We found similar trends in the Home-School Study sample, as well as indications that girls' reading motivation tended to be intrinsic, while boys described being motivated for extrinsic reasons (Porche, Ross, & Snow, in press). Thus, we were particularly interested in examining gender differences related to motivation and achievement as students move through middle school. We hypothesize that cognitive ability, performance, engagement in school, academic self-esteem, and socio-economic status all contribute to achievement. Secondly, although there is little evidence of gender differences in the literature on early reading and language skills, we hypothesize that a difference does exist because boys and girls are socialized in and motivated towards language activities in different ways, such that girls are expected to do better in language arts and boys are expected to excel in math and science. Method Sample. This paper examines literacy motivation and success for a sample of racially and ethnically diverse low-income students (n=54) who have participated in a longitudinal study of literacy and language development since they were in preschool. To be included in the study, the families of these students had to qualify for Head Start services. Two-thirds of the children identified as White Teacher-Child Rating Scale (Hightower et al., 1986); T-CRS). English teachers completed the Teacher-Child Rating Scale (T-CRS) which was comprised of a series of questions about the student's learning habits (motivation to achieve, work habits and level of concentration, and ability to follow directions). Motivational Measures: Self-Perception Profile for Children Results Descriptive results. We investigate the relationship between motivation and language and literacy outcomes by first describing the range of motivation, reading, and demographic measures for this sample of students Clusters are ranked highest to lowest by the combination of reading achievement as measured by comprehension outcomes, and by ability, as measured by report card grades. Cluster Analysis. We used cluster analysis to discern groupings of students by the constellation of variables described above. This method allows us to distinguish among profiles of success or risk of failure in reading achievement and is used to distinguish groups of respondents rather than groups of variables. Each student had membership in one and only one profile type. The seven measurements used in the cluster analysis included reading comprehension ability (CAT), reported English grades, teacher ratings of student performance (T-CRS), scholastic competence (Harter), engagement (RAPS), future aspirations for higher education, and SES (represented by maternal education). This Academic Success and Struggle Wellesley Centers for Women 8 Although there were no significant differences among the clusters on measures of engagement, reported grades, future aspirations, and SES (ANOVAS were performed to test differences by cluster for each variable), we did find some significant differences in the areas of reading comprehension, teacher ratings, and selfperception of scholastic competence between the highest and lowest scoring clusters of students. We retained all seven of these measures in our cluster analysis for two reasons: 1) we felt that each variable does make a substantive difference, even if not apparent in a small sample, and 2) differences between groups on the constructs represented by these variables would be clearer in our qualitative analysis. Consider Clusters 1 and 2, representing students with high levels of reading comprehension and high reported grades. On average, students in Cluster 2 had the second highest score for reading comprehension, had the highest teacher ratings on performance and work habits, got the best grades, yet were the second highest in scholastic competence. In contrast, students in Cluster 1 scored highest in reading ability and highest in scholastic competence, on average, but had lower grades and lower teacher ratings. These very bright students, as reflected in standardized tests, were not performing to their potential and were viewed as average students by their teachers. While all students in Cluster 2 aspired to go to college, as a group, students in Cluster 1 were not as definite in their plans. This provides evidence that ability by itself is a necessary but not sufficient component of achievement. Cluster 5 represents students with low reading comprehension and poor grades. On average, these students have low opinions of themselves in the academic domain, and in fact scored the lowest on each of the seven measures. Many of these students were receiving support services at school (e.g., special education placement, Chapter I, counseling) and several reported a history of developmental delays due to premature birth or mother's substance abuse when pregnant. This cluster of students are at the highest risk of academic failure, and by 7th grade six had been retained one or more times. Overall, students in Clusters 3 and 4 appear to be average or slightly above average in reading comprehension and grades compared to other students in the sample. Compared to Cluster 3, Cluster 4 students have lower comprehension ability, on average, yet are doing slightly better in their grades and received more positive ratings by their teachers. The Cluster 4 students appear to be putting out more effort in school, for their ability level, compared to Cluster 3, where students appear to be working below their abilities. Writing Task: Quantitative Analysis We first reviewed students' writing task samples using typical language skill assessments, before moving on to a more psychological analysis of students' narratives. Scores on the writing ability measures -Form, Content, and Total Score -were for the most part normally distributed across the sample with a slight skew towards the higher end Thematic analysis. Essays were content-coded for theme in the following areas: types of jobs specified, references to college, references to where they would be living, and references to romantic relationships and/or children. Within these descriptions we differentiated between fantasy-based narratives and more realistic narratives. For these thematic groups we examined gender differences present in the students' essays. Thematic analysis of the writing samples offers insight into the importance these adolescents place on different aspects of their future, such as gaining employment, continuing their education, and engaging in meaningful romantic relationships, as well as the degree to which they (and their parents) have begun to plan for their future. By content coding the writing samples Writing Task Qualitative Analysis While we did not find motivation to be a significant differentiator of groups in our cluster analysis, we nevertheless believe that motivation, as measured by student engagement, is in fact a critical component of literacy success. To explore this further, we examined evidence of motivation within the students' writing samples and interview narratives, using both a thematic and interpretive analysis. These qualitative analyses provided some clues to differences between clusters that were not captured in our standardized measures of motivation and writing

Political violence, psychosocial trauma, and the context of mental health services use among immigrant Latinos in the United States

OBJECTIVES: We present the prevalence of exposure to political violence (PV) among Latino immigrants in the US, and perceived need for and correlates of mental health services use among this population. METHODS: We use the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), a nationally representative epidemiological survey of US Latinos, including a probability sample of 1630 immigrant Latinos. Our conceptual framework assumes a strong role of social and cultural factors in understanding the risk for psychopathology and mental health service use. RESULTS: Eleven percent of all immigrant Latinos reported PV exposure and 76% described additional lifetime traumas. Among those with a history of PV, an increased likelihood of using mental health services was associated with female gender, English language proficiency, experiencing personal assaults, higher perceived discrimination, and having an anxiety or substance disorder. Latino men and specific subgroups of Latinos were less likely to access mental health services after experiencing PV. Perceived need for mental health services use is the strongest correlate of any lifetime and last-12-months service use. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals who come from countries with a history of political violence often have multiple traumatic experiences. This suggests a need for systematic screening for trauma and related psychiatric disorders. Specific outreach interventions focused on perceptions of need could be helpful for subgroups of Latinos including men who are particularly underrepresented in mental health services but who exhibit significant trauma histories

A qualitative study of clinicians\u27 use of the cultural formulation model in assessing posttraumatic stress disorder

The Cultural Formulation (CF) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) provides a potential framework for improving the diagnostic assessment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in culturally diverse patients. We analyzed data from the Patient-Provider Encounter Study, a multi-site study that examines the process of diagnosis and clinical decision-making during an initial clinical intake session, in order to examine use of CF for PTSD diagnosis. We find that while the CF is generally used inconsistently or underutilized in routine community settings, when employed appropriately it may assist the formulation and interpretation of traumatic experiences. We discuss the implications for improving the assessment of PTSD in the time-limited setting of the clinical intake encounter and across race/ethnicity

Professional Development for Reading Achievement: Results from the Collaborative Language and Literacy Instruction Project (CLLIP)

The Collaborative Language and Literacy Instruction Project (CLLIP) is a model of professional development designed to help teachers incorporate research-based practices of literacy instruction, support mastery, and sustained use of these practices through coaching, and serve as a foundation for whole-school reform efforts. We describe the model, intervention, implementation, and subsequent results from an exploratory study in which we tested student literacy outcomes for kindergartners and fourth graders in the classrooms of CLLIP teachers against a matched comparison group. Exploratory results from a rural cohort of elementary school teachers suggest support for skill building in the alphabetic principle, phonemic awareness, fluency, and vocabulary. We discuss outcomes by reflecting on central program features: CLLIP strengthens teachers’ content knowledge and ties that knowledge to subject-specific content for students, has extended duration and support, is tied to state standards, and involves collective participation across a district to advance reform efforts