Is a Theory of the Problem Sufficient for a Theory of the Solution? Negotiating Tensions among Research, Practice, Advocacy and Activism in Serving Immigrant Communities

The lives of members of immigrant communities are inevitably shaped by U.S. laws, rapidly-shifting immigration policy, institutional policies and practices (e.g., in schools), and how immigrants are welcomed (or not) by members of host communities (Portes & Rumbaut, 2001). These and other aspects of the context of reception have important implications for immigrant integration, education and employment, and mental health. Accordingly, there have been significant calls for psychologists to take active roles in advocacy and activism, which resonates deeply with many of us. Roundtable organizers are community psychologists working with immigrant communities and seeking to negotiate the tensions that can arise at the intersections of research, practice, advocacy and activism. For example: • APA’s Toolkit for Local Advocacy defines advocacy as sharing information within a system with the assumption that the information will help the system respond effectively; activism, on the other hand, is more likely to indict systems perceived as unjust, perhaps from the outside. How does one choose between--or balance--advocacy and activism? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each for trying to solve specific problems in different contexts? • How does one balance social science and research goals that presumably could provide valuable information in working with immigrant communities with advocacy and activism goals? Can we have one without the other, and if so, should we? • If we integrate these roles, do we run the risk of being perceived as less objective on one hand and less invested in communities (or complicit in injustice) on the other? • Is a theory of the problem sufficient for a theory of the solution? Is it possible to move from problems to solutions without the insight and influence that insiders can provide? Participants will share the (imperfect) ways they have balanced research, practice, advocacy and activism in their work

Academic Achievement and Psychological Distress among Muslim Adolescents Attending Public High Schools

Islamic norms and Islamophobia present unique challenges for Muslim adolescents attending public high schools in United States. Yet, Muslim youth see Islam not just as religion but also as a guiding force and a way of life. Additionally, they negotiate multiple social identities based on race, ethnicity, social class, and gender.. This study addressed the question: What is the relationship between gender, religiosity, and acculturation of Muslim adolescents and their perceptions of three school contextual variables – perceived support from teachers, school structural support for religious practices, and acculturative hassles – to their academic achievement, educational aspirations, and psychological distress? Islamic religiosity was found to be significantly positively associated with both academic performance and educational expectations. American and native culture acculturation was positively associated with higher educational expectations. Female Muslim students reported performing academically just as well as their male cohorts and had comparable high educational and professional aspirations. Additionally, this study found that although most Muslim students reported experiencing a moderate to high number of hassles at school unique to their religion, they did not find them severe enough to affect their academic achievement and expectations. However, hassles were positively associated with psychological distress. Further, students reported receiving moderate to high teacher support from most of their teachers which was significantly associated to their academic achievement. The adolescents also report moderate levels of structural support at school for their religious practices. The findings of the study thus, augment as well as contradict prior literature. The above findings contradict literature that tends to emphasize underperformance of female Muslim students and lack of support from teachers in general. Further, the study findings elaborate the existing literature by establishing the positive link between religiosity and academic engagement, and number of acculturative hassles and higher psychological distress among high school Muslim students. The results of this study thus, underscore the importance of further research on the contribution of individual level coping and adaptation and the role of school context in the academic engagement and psychological adjustment of Muslim high school students. Several recommendations for future research with this hard to access population are also made

Toward a successful vocational rehabilitation in adults with disabilities: Does residential arrangement matter?

The objective of this study was to assess whether successful vocational rehabilitation (that is, obtaining employment) among people with disabilities was affected by residential arrangement. Five groups of residential placement were considered: individuals living in a private residence, community or group residential, correctional and rehabilitation facilities, nursing home/mental health facilities, and homeless/shelter/other type of residential arrangement. The study involved a total of 46,570 vocational rehabilitation consumers aged 18 to 65 at referral in a Midwestern state. Statistical modeling was performed using quasibinomial logistic regression. It was found that compared to individuals living in private residences, those in correctional or rehabilitation facilities were at increased odds of successful rehabilitation, whereas those living in homeless/shelter/other residential arrangement and those living in nursing homes/mental health facilities were in significantly decreased odds of being rehabilitated. Individuals living in community or group residential, however, had no statistical difference in vocational rehabilitation outcomes compared to individuals living in private residences. The implications for rehabilitation research and practice are discussed

Vocational Rehabilitation of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities: A Propensity-Score Matched Study

Objective To investigate the employment outcomes of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for youth with disabilities in a targeted, enhanced, and contract-based secondary transition program as compared to the traditional VR transition services. Methods A population-based study was conducted on 4422 youth with physical, intellectual, learning, mental and hearing disabilities aged 14–21 at application and whose case was closed after receiving VR transition services in a Midwestern state. Selected youth were classified into either targeted secondary transition program (START) or non-START treatment group. The employment outcomes of the groups were compared using propensity-score matching procedures. Results 2211 youth with disabilities in each treatment group were successfully matched based on demographic characteristics, types of disabilities, existence of severe functional limitations, and year of referral. The overall rehabilitation rate was 57 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 56–59 %], where the START group rate was 61 % (95 % CI 59–63 %) and the non-START group 53 % (95 % CI 51–55 %). The propensity-score matched odds ratio (OR) was 1.40 (95 % CI 1.24–1.58; p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that the odds of rehabilitation in youth with disabilities were consistently higher when they were in START as compared to non-START (OR ranged from 1.27 to 1.92 with p < 0.05 except for the Hispanic subgroup). Conclusion The results suggest that VR services in a targeted, enhanced, and contract-based secondary transition program are more effective in transitioning youth with disabilities to employment than the regular VR transition services

Statement on the effects of deportation and forced separation on immigrants, their families, and communities

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In-Between: Late-Arriving Teens in Adult Education Programs Navigating Child and Adult Immigrant Narratives

We report on a grounded theory study of late-arriving immigrant youth (LIY) who arrived in the United States at 16–18 years of age and were referred to daytime General Education Diploma (D-GED) programs. These programs provide an alternate path to a high school diploma for youth with insufficient knowledge of English to complete graduation requirements before turning 19 years. Based on interviews with 38 youth from Latin America, we propose the core category of our grounded theory to be students Navigating Child and Adult Immigrant Narratives while making educational and career decisions. This process begins before immigration when youth imagine ambitious alternate selves—ideal educational and career selves in the United States, consistent with the American Dream and immigrant child narrative. The D-GED programs represent a compromise between a child and adult educational pathway. Students in these programs felt excluded from the regular high school but received social and emotional support while on a faster track to graduation and self-sufficiency as adults. However, students lacked concrete information and roadmaps for how to attain their ambitious goals. The study highlights the unique challenges faced by LIY as they develop ambitious and realistic education and career goals