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Engaging Adolescent Youth in Foster Care through Photography

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Title: Engaging Adolescent Youth in Foster Care through Photography
Language: English
Authors: Rice, Karen, Girvin, Heather, Primak, Sarah
Source: Child Care in Practice. 2014 20(1):37-47.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2014
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Evaluative
Descriptors: Adolescents, Foster Care, Self Esteem, Health, Photography, Interpersonal Relationship, Individual Development, Psychological Patterns, Counselor Client Relationship, Futures (of Society), Trauma, Intervention
DOI: 10.1080/13575279.2013.847054
ISSN: 1357-5279
Abstract: Older youth in foster care are particularly vulnerable because they are poorly prepared for the transition from foster care to independent adulthood. Interventions designed to assist in this transition rarely engage youth directly; plans are made for youth rather than with them. Photographs can serve as an externalised medium for the expression of youths' personal issues and can have a positive effect on their health. Enhanced outcomes include increasing self-esteem, instilling hope, and assisting with personal and interpersonal development. The expression of these concerns, hopes, and plans via photography can bridge social and communicative distances that may exist between youth and their social worker. In this way, youth engagement is enhanced; the social worker and youth can more effectively build a helping alliance. Two of the authors, college professors, developed an intervention that utilises photography to engage adolescent youth in foster care and facilitate collaborative development of a case plan that allows youth to take an active role in planning for their future, thus supporting strengths-based practice. The main points of this article will be describing the common challenges adolescent youth in foster care experience and how photography can mitigate these common challenges and buffer against the ongoing trauma adolescent youth experience while in foster care. This intervention utilises a strengths-based, solution-focused approach to engaging the adolescents.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 35
Entry Date: 2014
Accession Number: EJ1024864
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0094381168;j2301jan.14;2019Mar06.12:47;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0094381168-1">Engaging Adolescent Youth in Foster Care through Photography. </title> <p>Older youth in foster care are particularly vulnerable because they are poorly prepared for the transition from foster care to independent adulthood. Interventions designed to assist in this transition rarely engage youth directly; plans are made for youth rather than with them. Photographs can serve as an externalised medium for the expression of youths' personal issues and can have a positive effect on their health. Enhanced outcomes include increasing self-esteem, instilling hope, and assisting with personal and interpersonal development. The expression of these concerns, hopes, and plans via photography can bridge social and communicative distances that may exist between youth and their social worker. In this way, youth engagement is enhanced; the social worker and youth can more effectively build a helping alliance. Two of the authors, college professors, developed an intervention that utilises photography to engage adolescent youth in foster care and facilitate collaborative development of a case plan that allows youth to take an active role in planning for their future, thus supporting strengths-based practice. The main points of this article will be describing the common challenges adolescent youth in foster care experience and how photography can mitigate these common challenges and buffer against the ongoing trauma adolescent youth experience while in foster care. This intervention utilises a strengths-based, solution-focused approach to engaging the adolescents.</p> <p>Keywords: Child Welfare; Photograph Elicitation; Strengths-based Perspective; Adolescence; Foster Care</p> <hd id="AN0094381168-2">Engaging Adolescent Youth in Foster Care through Photography</hd> <p>Abused and neglected children represent a uniquely vulnerable population in need of advocacy and services (Litzelfelner & Petra, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref1">23</reflink>]). Public child welfare agencies are charged with responding to these needs, but they function under conditions that frustrate well-intended efforts. The literature describes a beleaguered public child welfare system that struggles with systemic challenges (e.g. limited resources and time constraints) and barriers to effective casework including difficulty in engaging parents, poor communication with service providers, and staff turnover, as well as parent-specific issues such as poverty, transportation, mental illness, drug addiction, and non-foster care obligations (Alpert & Britner, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref2">1</reflink>]).</p> <p>The field of practice has responded to these challenges by placing increased emphasis on the strengths-based perspective, with educators and practitioners emphasising the importance of harnessing families' strengths (Alpert & Britner, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref3">1</reflink>]). In child welfare, social workers are trained to view engagement as foundational in the provision of strengths-based services. Engagement can be conceptualised as a way to protect the rights of children and families while simultaneously encouraging families to exercise agency in case planning.</p> <p>The relationship between the client and the worker is the mechanism through which families are engaged. Evidence suggests that the formation of a strong connection between the worker and client is a prerequisite for effective intervention (Holland, [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref4">17</reflink>]). Healthy attachments may also afford youth the opportunity to accept the imperfections with his/her biological family and embrace the current family as "family for now" (Anderson, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref5">2</reflink>]). Youth in foster care with healthy attachments experience fewer disruptions in placement, fewer placements, better school performance, and less delinquent criminal activity (Anderson, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref6">2</reflink>]). Failure to establish a helping relationship has been associated with poor outcomes such as lack of reunification between the parent and child (Landsman, Groza, Tyler, & Malone, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref7">21</reflink>]; Lee & Ayon, [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref8">22</reflink>]; Trotter, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref9">34</reflink>]).</p> <p>Although viewed as vital to optimal practice (Dawson & Berry, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref10">10</reflink>]; Gockel, Russell, & Harris, [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref11">13</reflink>]), engagement can be problematic in child welfare because of the systemic challenges described above and because of the involuntary context in which many services are delivered. Workers and other helping professionals are often viewed by clients as adversaries, a perception related to the accurate assessment that child welfare professionals wield power over interventions and case decisions (Sheafor & Horejsi, [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref12">31</reflink>]).</p> <p>Adolescents compose a significant and particularly challenging segment of the foster care population. In addition to the systemic and contextual conditions described above, youths' extended time in care and developmental stage may create additional obstacles to successful case planning. Adolescents begin their involvement in child welfare when they are younger and, at the point of entry, they have already been exposed to a wide range of painful and distressing experiences, many of which remain unknown and unreported during intake (Harpaz-Rotem, Berkowitz, Marans, Murphy, & Rosenheck, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref13">16</reflink>]). Myriad factors affect youth in foster care, including family violence, poverty, and neighbourhood crime; the distinct and cumulative effects of these stressors have both short-term and long-term consequences for the child's mental health, physical health, placement stability, and long-term life trajectory (Ethier, Lemelin, & Lacharite, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref14">12</reflink>]; Harpaz-Rotem et al., [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref15">16</reflink>]; Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref16">28</reflink>]).</p> <p>As children enter foster care, significant resources are dedicated to a search for permanency, either reunification or adoption. Permanency can be elusive, however, and as children reach adolescence there is an abrupt change in their treatment plans and attention turns to helping youth to "successfully" age out of the system, which means achieving self-sufficiency and independence. Unfortunately, preparatory services are often lacking (McMillen & Tucker, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref17">25</reflink>]; Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref18">28</reflink>]), and the system and providers scramble to prepare these adolescents to live entirely on their own with no familial or societal support.</p> <p>Obstacles quickly accrue for adolescents who age out of foster care without support and preparation. Nearly one-half will not complete high school and are twice as likely to drop out as other students, in addition to not finding a job within four years of aging out of care (McDonald, Allen, Westerfelt, & Piliavin, [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref19">24</reflink>]; Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref20">28</reflink>]). Almost one-third of youth who age out of foster care struggle with mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and drug and alcohol abuse (Courtney, Piliavin, Grogan-Kaylor, & Nesmith, [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref21">8</reflink>]); one in four youth who age out of foster care experience homelessness for at least one night and/or are arrested after leaving care (McDonald et al., [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref22">24</reflink>]; Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref23">28</reflink>]; White, [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref24">35</reflink>]). Although these adolescents are approaching an age of anticipated independence, their ability to participate in planning, express concerns, and identify goals may be compromised by the traumas they have experienced. This limited capacity may be further complicated by their complex developmental stage. Adolescents are engaged in making sense of the world around them and finding their place in it (Goessling & Doyle, [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref25">14</reflink>]). These normal developmental processes become more challenging when shaped by multiple traumas and the context of involuntary services.</p> <p>Adolescents in foster care, especially those who are on the verge of aging out, have complex needs that require a multi-faceted response. Ideally, responsive strategies will reckon with the developmental uncertainties of youth, mitigate the effects of multiple traumas, and foster alliances in the context of child welfare.</p> <hd id="AN0094381168-3">Literature Review</hd> <p>As evidenced by outcomes associated with aging-out youth, contemporary strategies fall short; innovation is required. Effective services will focus on strengths and build relationships between adolescent clients and helping professionals, thereby providing a buffer against the effects of trauma experienced before and during foster care (Anderson, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref26">2</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0094381168-4">Creative Therapies</hd> <p>Creative therapeutic interventions may provide child welfare professionals a strengths-based tool to bridge social and communicative distances (Jorgenson & Sullivan, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref27">19</reflink>]) that exist between them and the youth. They typically involve less traditional forms of collaboration between professionals and clients and offer opportunities for the creative expression of feelings and hopes.</p> <p>Davis ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref28">9</reflink>]), for example, explored the various forms of expressive art therapy and specifically focused on the benefits of utilising music with adolescents with trauma. Expressive art therapy allows adolescents to express feelings that may otherwise be difficult to articulate. Davis conducted a case study in the aftermath of a natural disaster involving a group of approximately 60 adolescents between the ages of eight and 11. Participants were divided into smaller groups and provided with a card that listed a specific feeling. As a group, they were instructed to utilise the instruments provided to express the feeling through a musical composition. Compositions were presented to the other participants and processed verbally as an entire group. The use of this intervention promoted self-awareness and provided a creative outlet for the expression of complex feelings (Davis, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref29">9</reflink>]).</p> <p>Bratton, Ray, Edwards, and Landreth ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref30">5</reflink>]) discussed the benefits of utilising child-centred play therapy (CCPT) as an effective way of engaging youth in treatment. CCPT allows youth and adolescents to play out life experiences and express their feelings with the use of play materials. This intervention also fostered the establishment of a strong therapeutic relationship between practitioner and youth. Research supports the use of CCPT in work with traumatised youth (Ogawa, [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref31">27</reflink>]) as well as with use with disruptive behaviours (Cochran, Fauth, Cochran, Spurgeon, & Pierce, [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref32">7</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0094381168-5">Photography</hd> <p>Creative strategies that incorporate elements of photography may prove particularly useful for engaging adolescents, especially those who do not immediately or naturally identify themselves as "creative". Goessling and Doyle ([<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref33">14</reflink>]) utilised photovoice in a participatory action research project, "Thru the Lenz". Research participants were youth under the age of 18 enrolled in an urban high school and involved in an at-risk intervention programme. The youth were asked to take photographs at home, in the community, and at school to inform others about their lives and communities. Based on an analysis of the one to three photographs selected by the youth, several reoccurring themes emerged including family, friends, pets, and awareness of surroundings.</p> <p>In a 2001 study on the impact of war on Bosnian youth, Berman, Ford-Bilboe, Moutrey, and Cekic ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref34">4</reflink>]) examined the use of photograph novella as a methodology for data collection. Seven Bosnian youth were provided with disposable cameras and instructed to take photographs of people, places, and things that were important to them. Youth were refugees in Canada between the ages of 11 and 14. Themes of war, family, and hopes and dreams resulted from the photographs and discussions. A difference in the type of pictures taken was noticed between males and females. Female participants were more likely to take photographs representing their experiences in Bosnia, whereas male participants took photographs depicting their lives in the present (Berman et al., [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref35">4</reflink>]). All youth voiced evidence of strength, courage, and resilience in their discussions of the photographs and experiences.</p> <hd id="AN0094381168-6">Photograph Elicitation</hd> <p>Strategies that incorporate photography vary in terms of specific approach and purpose. Photovoice, also known as community photography, utilises photography as a means of empowering participants to reveal topics of concern and promote social action (Goessling & Doyle, [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref36">14</reflink>]). Photograph novella uses photography to tell a story (Berman et al., [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref37">4</reflink>]). Photograph elicitation is a qualitative research methodology that engages participants in taking photographs that are used in interviews to facilitate discussion (Rose, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref38">30</reflink>]). Individuals can approach photograph elicitation from various directions including asking participants to take photographs or presenting photographs that already exist to elicit discussion (Cameron, Lau, & Tapanya, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref39">6</reflink>]; Epstein, Stevens, McKeever, & Baruchel, [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref40">11</reflink>]).</p> <p>Photograph elicitation offers an innovative methodology to address the primary and secondary traumas that youth experience. Photographs can carry or evoke information, affect, and reflection, which allows participants to reflect on aspects of their lives that they typically do not consider and may be used to facilitate discussion of sensitive topics (Rose, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref41">30</reflink>]). The benefits of photograph elicitation are that it provides detailed information about how participants see their world and allows participants to reflect on things they may not usually contemplate (Rose, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref42">30</reflink>]).</p> <p>Because photograph elicitation offers a method to extract feelings and experiences in a way that empowers the participant, it is an ideal methodology to utilise with youth (Sontag, [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref43">32</reflink>]). Adolescence is a time of identity development, exploration, and clarification. The youth involved in this proposed intervention must negotiate these normal developmental processes, as well as additional traumas caused by family disruption, multiple placements in foster care, and loss. Photographs can serve as an externalised medium for the expression of youths' personal issues and can have a positive effect on their health. Enhanced outcomes include increasing self-esteem, instilling hope, and assisting with personal and interpersonal development (Goessling & Doyle, [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref44">14</reflink>]; Trainin Blank, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref45">33</reflink>]). Youth who have experienced multiple traumas may obtain specific benefits through photograph elicitation, including helping them to work through unconscious material, uncover blocks, gain new perspectives on enduring problems, or gain valuable insights (Trainin Blank, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref46">33</reflink>]). The use of photographs by child welfare practitioners to elicit youths' stories does not demand more skills and time, but instead provides a medium that enhances the youths' ability to communicate their perspective, which increases the practitioners' understanding of the youths' lived experiences (Barker & Weller, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref47">3</reflink>]; Greene & Hogan, [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref48">15</reflink>]; Kuhn, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref49">20</reflink>]; Punch, [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref50">29</reflink>]).</p> <p>Cameron et al. ([<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref51">6</reflink>]) utilised photograph elicitation to explore the resiliency of youth in diverse communities. Similar to Berman et al. ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref52">4</reflink>]), Cameron and colleagues asked four youths to take photographs of people, places, and things that were important to them as one part of the study. A family theme emerged from the analysis of the photographs taken by the youths.</p> <p>Morrow ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref53">26</reflink>]) used visual methodologies to study youths' perspectives of their environment and the impact of their environment on their well-being. Cameras were distributed to youth between the ages of 14 and 15 who were asked to photograph places that were important to them and provide descriptions of why those places were important. Themes of friendship, neighbourhood space, public parks, and urban spaces emerged. In particular, proximity to friends seemed to be of importance to the youth. Feelings of exclusion were narrated as youth were prohibited from utilising some public spaces; however, some public spaces promoted social interactions among youth and were described favourably.</p> <hd id="AN0094381168-7">Benefits of Using Photograph Elicitation</hd> <p>The studies outlined above also highlighted the benefits of using visual methodologies with youth. In the study by Goessling and Doyle ([<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref54">14</reflink>]), photovoice was the medium used to empower at-risk youth to share their life with members of their community. Similarly, Berman et al. ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref55">4</reflink>]) concluded that photograph novella allowed participants to discuss issues that may have been difficult to share through other mediums.</p> <p>Photograph elicitation may also decrease the anxiety youth experience when interviewed by an adult. For example, Epstein et al. ([<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref56">11</reflink>]) reported that photograph elicitation not only fostered youth involved in their study to be more comfortable during the interview process, but empowered them to take the lead in the discussion of the photographs presented to them. The use of photography actively engages youth and provides them with the opportunity to consider their surroundings and the impact of the environment on their lives (Morrow, [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref57">26</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0094381168-8">Intervention</hd> <p>As suggested by Rose ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref58">30</reflink>]), the six steps of a photograph elicitation research design were employed when developing this visual intervention aimed at engaging adolescents in foster care to empower them to take an active role in their case planning. "Through Their Eyes" (TTE) is designed around the concept of enhancing the helping alliance between child welfare professionals and the youth by offering a tool (photographs) to engage youth in conversation about various topics. TTE offers another means of building on an existent relationship or beginning to create the necessary collaborative and trusting relationship that will not only allow the child welfare professional to be a more effective advocate but will empower the youth to take an active role in his or her future planning. Therefore, this intervention builds upon the qualitative methodology of photograph elicitation by providing child welfare practitioners with a means (photographs) to gather information as well as to collaboratively develop a plan of action with adolescents aging out of foster care. This use of photograph elicitation is both practical and strategic, enabling workers to express more clearly the hopes and plans of their adolescent clients.</p> <p>Rose's ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref59">30</reflink>]) steps include: conduct initial interview with youth and distribute cameras; develop photographs; interview youth; use conventional social science techniques to analyse data (photographs and interviews); interpret findings; and disseminate findings. Child welfare practitioners begin with an initial meeting with the youth to explain the purpose of the photography, obtain informed assent, collect demographic data, and distribute the disposable camera. The youth are provided with a brief lesson on how to use the 27-exposure disposable camera and then provided a case specific prompt to photograph. What youth photograph will vary because the goal of photograph elicitation is to gather visual data that can be utilised during interviews with the youth to identify goals, needs, and wants that can be included on the youth's case plan. For example, a youth preparing for life after foster care may be asked to photograph his goals related to work, school, and residence. Figure 1 represents some photographs taken by an adolescent who was given this prompt to photograph.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 1 Photographs Representing an Adolescent's Goals Related to Work, School, and Residence.</p> <p>As photographs need accompanying text to guide readers on how to treat the images taken (Rose, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref60">30</reflink>]), the youths are also asked to provide a brief narrative for each photograph taken. The narrative should include the youth's description of the photograph and feelings it evokes. For the photographs displayed in Figure 1, the following narratives accompanied them. The landscape photograph represented making positive changes in one's life and moving on from past experiences: "We need to go out into the real world and get a good look at life ahead and out of foster care". The adolescent also recognised that in order to do this there needs to be access to resources, such as transportation: "I learned how to drive in this car". Finally, without a safe place to live, none of the future planning will come to fruition: "I need it because it's comfy and helps me have a good night's rest and provide what it needs to keep me safe and warm".</p> <p>Upon developing the photographs, the child welfare professional meets with and discusses the photographs/narratives in detail with the youth. This step is vital in clarifying the meaning of the photographs to the youth as they often provide important information that can aid in the collaborative development of a case plan to achieve whatever it was that the youth was asked to photograph. During this time, it is important to remember that the discussion that emerges from the shared examination of the youth's photograph may evolve over time and lead to other avenues of exploration. The child welfare professionals are the facilitators of the identification of themes that emerge as a result of exploring the meaning of the photographs; however, the youth should be encouraged to take the lead. This can be accomplished by helping the youth think more concretely about action steps to achieve goals or address challenges identified. This is a balancing act; moving too quickly to concrete planning may shut down conversation, but staying in the realm of abstract themes for too long can become overwhelming for youth, making goals seem unattainable.</p> <p>Using the above example, and specifically the conversation that unfolded as a result of using the first photograph (the landscape picture), it was discovered that the adolescent wanted to explore going to college. To assist the adolescent with attaining this goal, the child welfare practitioner and adolescent developed a plan of action that included tentative timelines, manageable tasks, and responsible parties. The youth, for example, must study for the Scholastic Assessment Test (college entrance examination) but the child welfare practitioner located and provided study materials. Once the meaning of the photographs and accompanying narratives are analysed and interpreted, a plan is developed. TTE is unique because it involves the conversation of photograph-based data (photographs, narratives, etc.) into a plan that is shared with key stakeholders (adolescent's attorney, Court Appointed Special Advocate, and dependency court judge) and collaboratively implemented.</p> <hd id="AN0094381168-9">Benefits of this Approach</hd> <p>Engagement is a requisite component of successful alliance formation and collaboration. Adolescents have been identified as a group that can be difficult to engage. TTE offers an innovative intervention approach that is often appealing to youth who have spent too much time in the child welfare system, participating in "cookie cutter approaches" to planning. The creativity of photography, the opportunity to talk about the "art" that is produced—these unusual intervention features are often enough to convince youth that TTE is worth a try.</p> <p>Beyond this, the adage of "try, try again" is worth keeping in mind. If an adolescent is not initially interested in TTE, the child welfare professional may need to introduce a prompt that is interesting or exciting to the youth and/or ask the youth to suggest new directions. Child welfare professionals are encouraged to remember that "testing" is a normative aspect of adolescence. Some youth will resist participation, refuse to engage, "wait out" the professional, and/or require consistent attention and reassurance. Responding to these reactions with patience and creativity is part and parcel of the role of the child welfare professional.</p> <p>As previously stated, children entering care have experienced a traumatic life event that if left untreated can lead to complicated relationships, additional trauma (e.g. multiple moves), and/or negative coping behaviours (e.g. destructive behaviour). Addressing the youth's limited capacity for relationship-building, effects from trauma experienced, and compromised sense of safety may lead to improved perceptions of self, strategies for coping, and resilience. Identifying, supporting, and promoting positive and stable relationships in the child's life have the potential of increasing placement stability. Due to placement moves while in temporary care, adolescents often miss the opportunity to acquire independent living skills, which are necessary to success after aging out of foster care. Many adolescents do receive some services, but the education is far from comprehensive. Hyucksun Shin ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref61">18</reflink>]) notes that approximately 75% of adolescents in foster care reported being trained in at least one area of independent living such as interpersonal skills, personal appearance/hygiene, housekeeping, job-seeking skills, and emergency and safety skills.</p> <p>However, adolescents in care suffer poor mental health and limited educational achievement, which may impede optimal use of these independent living skills once they age out of foster care. In sum, not all adolescents receive needed services and those who do receive services may find their content, relevance, and applicability limited. Therefore, the use of photographs to develop a plan that embraces an empowerment, strengths-based, and solution-focused approach that integrates problem-solving skills to process residual effects from primary and secondary traumas may better prepare adolescents to be successful once they age out of foster care.</p> <ref id="AN0094381168-10"> <title> Footnotes </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref2" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Drs Karen Rice and Heather Girvin are Assistant Professors in the Department of Social Work, Millersville University.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref5" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Ms Sarah Primak is a Social Worker with the Lebanon VA Medical Center.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <ref id="AN0094381168-11"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibtext> Alpert, L. T., & Britner, P. A. (2005). Social workers' attitudes toward parents of children in child protective services: Evaluation of a family-focused casework training program. 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  Data: Engaging Adolescent Youth in Foster Care through Photography
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rice%2C+Karen%22">Rice, Karen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Girvin%2C+Heather%22">Girvin, Heather</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Primak%2C+Sarah%22">Primak, Sarah</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Child+Care+in+Practice%22"><i>Child Care in Practice</i></searchLink>. 2014 20(1):37-47.
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
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  Data: 11
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Evaluative
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adolescents%22">Adolescents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foster+Care%22">Foster Care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Esteem%22">Self Esteem</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health%22">Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Photography%22">Photography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpersonal+Relationship%22">Interpersonal Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Development%22">Individual Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Counselor+Client+Relationship%22">Counselor Client Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Futures+%28of+Society%29%22">Futures (of Society)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Trauma%22">Trauma</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intervention%22">Intervention</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1080/13575279.2013.847054
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  Data: Older youth in foster care are particularly vulnerable because they are poorly prepared for the transition from foster care to independent adulthood. Interventions designed to assist in this transition rarely engage youth directly; plans are made for youth rather than with them. Photographs can serve as an externalised medium for the expression of youths' personal issues and can have a positive effect on their health. Enhanced outcomes include increasing self-esteem, instilling hope, and assisting with personal and interpersonal development. The expression of these concerns, hopes, and plans via photography can bridge social and communicative distances that may exist between youth and their social worker. In this way, youth engagement is enhanced; the social worker and youth can more effectively build a helping alliance. Two of the authors, college professors, developed an intervention that utilises photography to engage adolescent youth in foster care and facilitate collaborative development of a case plan that allows youth to take an active role in planning for their future, thus supporting strengths-based practice. The main points of this article will be describing the common challenges adolescent youth in foster care experience and how photography can mitigate these common challenges and buffer against the ongoing trauma adolescent youth experience while in foster care. This intervention utilises a strengths-based, solution-focused approach to engaging the adolescents.
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        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 37
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      – SubjectFull: Adolescents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foster Care
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      – SubjectFull: Self Esteem
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