Robert J. Flynn

A Quarter-Century of Normalization and Social Role Valorization: Evolution and Impact

During the late 1960s, Normalization and Social Role Valorization (SRV) enabled the widespread emergence of community residential options and then provided the philosophical climate within which educational integration, supported employment, and community participation were able to take firm root. This book is unique in tracing the evolution and impact of Normalization and SRV over the last quarter-century, with many of the chapter authors personally involved in a still-evolving international movement.

Multilevel correlates of behavioral resilience among children in child welfare.

Resilience, defined as positive adaptation and functioning following exposure to significant adversity, is an important topic of investigation in child welfare. The current study used data from the Ontario Looking After Children (OnLAC) project to estimate the prevalence of behavioral resilience (i.e., lower frequency of conduct and emotional problems, higher frequency of prosocial behavior) in 531 5-9 year olds living in out-of-home care, and to determine how behaviorally-resilient children are functioning in other domains (i.e., peer relationships and academic performance). Furthermore, hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the contribution of four levels of analysis (i.e., child, family, child welfare worker, and child welfare agency) on behaviors and to identify the contribution of predictor variables within each of these levels. Findings indicated that 50-70% of children exhibited resilience on one behavioral outcome while approximately 30% showed resilience on at least two of the outcomes. Also, 8.4-9.6% exhibited resilience on one of the behavioral outcomes in addition to peer relationships and academic performance. The child level accounted for the highest proportion of total explained variance in behavioral outcomes, followed by the family-, child welfare worker-, and child welfare agency-levels. A number of child and foster family variables predicted behavioral functioning. Findings indicate that it is important to inquire about childrens functioning across multiple domains to obtain a comprehensive developmental assessment. Also, child and foster family characteristics appear to play considerable roles in the promotion of behavioral resilience.

Placement, protective and risk factors in the educational success of young people in care: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses

In the present study, we formulated and tested a basic model of the educational success of young people in out-of-home care. We used data from 2007 to 2008 and 2008 to 2009 on a sample of 1106 young people in care in Ontario, Canada. The youths were 12–17 years of age; 56.24% were male and 43.76% female. The indicators of educational success in both years were the youths average marks and the youths school performance in reading, math, science and overall, as rated by his or her caregiver. Based on resilience theory and on a model of the influence of maltreatment on educational achievement, our model included four categories of predictors: control variables (youth gender and age and, in the longitudinal analyses, the year 7 value of the year 8 dependent variable), three placement types (foster, kinship care or group homes), three risk factors (previous repetition of a grade in school, a health-related cognitive impairment index and a measure of behavioural difficulties) and three protective factors (caregiver involvement in the youths school, caregiver educational aspirations for the young person and the youths total number of internal developmental assets). Cross-sectional and longitudinal hierarchical regression analyses provided mixed support for the proposed model. The youths gender, level of behavioural difficulties and number of developmental assets, and the caregivers educational aspirations for the young person, emerged as the most consistent predictors of educational success. The implications and limitations of the findings were discussed.

Identifying the core competencies of community support providers working with people with psychiatric disabilities.

The study was intended to identify core competencies for community support providers working with people with psychiatric disabilities. Using multiple methods developed from previous research in the field of developmental disabilities, 18 consumers receiving services and 16 staff members from two mental health community support programs identified a list of 68 competencies that included personal attributes, knowledge, and skills. Based on a card sort task, 34 consumers receiving services and 34 support workers from six mental health community support programs rated 59 of the 68 competencies as being either absolutely necessary or desirable. Results of a second card sort task found that a majority of competencies identified as being needed pre-employment were personal attributes consistent with adopting a person-centered approach. Competencies categorized as to be learned on the job involved special knowledge and skills specific to working with people with psychiatric disabilities. The range of personal attributes, knowledge, skills represented in the identified competencies reflects the complexity of contemporary mental health community support. Findings are indicative of the need for specialized training and supervision that has not been typically available in the community mental health sector.

SOCIAL ROLE VALORIZATION IN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING: DOES IT CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND LIFE SATISFACTION OF PEOPLE WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISABILITIES?

Despite its importance as a theory in the development of programs for populations with disabilities, social role valorization (SRV) has received relatively little attention in community mental health research. We present findings of a study that examined the relationship of housing-related SRV to community integration and global life satisfaction of persons with psychiatric disabilities. The housing environments and associated supports of a group of 73 persons with psychiatric disabilities living in a mid-sized city were assessed using the PASSING rating system on the extent that their housing environments facilitated SRV. In addition, in-person interviews were conducted to determine the levels of physical integration, psychological integration, social integration, and life satisfaction of study participants. Results showed SRV contributing directly to all three types of community integration. Psychological integration was found to mediate the relationship between SRV and life satisfaction. Implications of the findings are discussed.

The SDQ as a mental health measurement tool in a Canadian sample of looked-after young people †

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is used increasingly internationally in child welfare as a tool for mental-health screening, referral and outcome measurement. This study compared the SDQ scores, based on ratings by foster parents or other caregivers, of 492 young people aged 11–15 years and living in out-of-home care in Ontario, Canada, with normative SDQ scores, based on parental ratings, of a large sample of young people aged 11–15 years from the British general population. Of the Ontario looked-after young people, 57% were male and 43% female, with 86% residing in foster homes and 14% in group homes. As expected, a considerably higher proportion of the Ontario looked-after sample had SDQ scores in the at-risk range, compared with the British normative sample. The findings suggested that the SDQ is likely to prove useful as a mental health measurement tool in Canadian child welfare services.

Foster-parent training and foster-child outcomes: An exploratory cross-sectional analysis

Abstract Very little research has been conducted on the effects of foster-parent training. This study used cross-sectional data from a larger outcome-monitoring project to describe the training received by foster (including kinship) parents in Ontario, Canada, and explore the possible links between such training and selected foster-child outcomes. The sample comprised 603 foster children, aged 10–17 years, and their foster (93%) or kinship parents (7%). The foster or kinship parents had received an average of about two types of training (range 0–5). The training was related significantly to foster-child outcomes in only 5 of 30 (17%) regression analyses. The statistically significant results suggested that foster-parent and related personnel training may heighten expectations of the child, thereby creating a sensitizing effect of which, if confirmed, trainers and trainees should be made aware.

Profiles and predictors of behavioral resilience among children in child welfare

Children living in out-of-home care have experienced a multitude of adversities, often resulting in compromised functioning. The current study used Ontario Looking After Children (OnLAC) project data to estimate developmental trajectories of behavioral outcomes (i.e., conduct and emotional problems) over a 4-year period (i.e., ages 6-10 to 9-13) in 313 children living in out-of-home care. Predictors measured at baseline (e.g., sex) and across the subsequent 4-year period (e.g., parenting practices) were also investigated. Findings indicated that 64.2% and 58.6% followed resilient trajectories for conduct behaviors and emotional functioning, respectively. Predictors of resilient trajectories included internal developmental assets, number of children in the home, whether the child was receiving treatment, and positive parenting. Findings need to be interpreted with an understanding that children in out-of-home care have varying levels of functioning across various domains (e.g., educational, social) other than the ones measured here. Predictors were static and dynamic and cut across various contexts, emphasizing the importance of considering child functioning within an ecological model.

Design and measurement considerations in evaluating integrated human service delivery systems

Abstract This article calls attention to the fact that evaluators are increasingly being called upon to evaluate integrated human service delivery systems. This is a complex policy and program context which creates a number of potential difficulties for evaluators. This article draws upon the experiences of a group of evaluators who have recently completed a four-year implementation evaluation of a multi-site integrated human service delivery system. The following “pre-implementation” issues are discussed: assisting program implementors in the specification of program parameters and negotiables; assessing the “preimplementation environment” of multiple sites; choice of research design; and, separating service delivery from program management. In addition, this article also discusses a number of “implementation phase” evaluation activities including: measuring the extent of implementation of key features of service integration; identifying transfers of authority and the locus of decision making; the use of both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis; and, reporting considerations.

Training and Experience: Keys to Enhancing the Utility for Foster Parents of the Assessment and Action Record from Looking after Children

The Looking After Children (LAC) approach is now widely used internationally in child welfare. The approach, which originated almost two decades ago, aims systematically to raise the standard of corporate parenting and improve the outcome of young people in out-of-home care. The Assessment and Action Record (AAR) from LAC is used to monitor young peoples developmental progress on a year-to-year basis. Clearly, foster carers are central to the successful implementation of LAC and it is important that they perceive the AAR to be useful in carrying out their fostering duties. Previous research in the UK and Australia found that foster carers believed the record to be useful, especially if they were just getting to know the child or if the child had been in multiple placements. The study reported by Sarah Pantin and Robert Flynn draws on survey information provided by 93 foster carers in the province of Ontario, Canada. They found that foster carers who had received what they saw as higher-quality training rated the AAR as being more useful in their work. Interestingly, however, the amount of experience they had had in using the instrument was unrelated to their ratings of its usefulness. Overall, high-quality training emerged as a central feature of effective implementation. Specific recommendations were made in relation to LAC training curriculum requirements and stakeholder involvement.