Applying social and cultural capital frameworks: understanding employment perspectives of transition age youth with serious mental health conditions.

Vulnerable transition age youth, such as those in foster care and with serious mental health conditions, are at increased risk for lower rates of employment. Social capital is empirically linked to employment in the general population, yet little is known about the role of social capital in employment for at-risk transition age youth. Focus groups were conducted with young people with serious mental health conditions and their vocational specialists.

Improving outcomes for pregnant and parenting foster care youth with severe mental illness: an evaluation of a transitional living program.

Objective: This study provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of a residential program with comprehensive wrap-around services for pregnant and parenting foster care youth with severe mental illness or severe emotional disturbance who are preparing to transition to independent living.

Methods: Twenty-five females ages 18 to 21 participated. Program effectiveness was determined by tracking monthly status changes, such as education, employment, and hospitalizations, as well as by comparing scores on four bi-annually administered standardized assessments of parenting competency and stress, child maltreatment risk, and mental health symptoms.