Overview

This study collects descriptive information on all young adults, ages 16 to 21, served by their region’s funded system of care at the entry (or re-entry) into services. Eligible young adults are those between the ages of 16 and 21 who meet the Act 264 definition of Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED) or who are considered at risk for SED (see Study Inclusion Criteria Checklist). Because there is some identifying information we are required to collect, we need to obtain consent from young adults and if under 18 their parents or guardians as well for them to participate. The consenting and collection of data for the Common Study is designed to take approximately 20 minutes per client. The first Common Study interview must be conducted within seven days of intake into a region’s funded system of care, follow-up interviews are conducted every 6 months while the youth is receiving services, and then a discharge interview is conducted when they leave services.

We also work with the regions to identify eligible study participants and obtain permission for the UVM evaluation team to contact them further to elicit participation in the Vermont and National studies (see below). While introducing the Common Study to the young adult (and their parent/caregiver if young adult is under 18 years of age), we would also like region staff to obtain permission for us to contact them to describe the next two studies (Vermont and National) in more detail. We have a protocol and forms for each region to guide this process.

Descriptions of Documents & Measures to Download

Common Study Instructions & Recruitment Script: Gives regions guidelines on how to introduce the evaluation and Common Study with young adults enrolling into their system of care.

Study Inclusion Criteria Checklist (SICC): Used to determine eligibility into a region’s YIT funded system of care and the different evaluation studies. A SICC should be completed for each young adult that receives YIT funded services or supports.

Common Study Consent forms: Consent by the young adult (if 18 years or older) or by his or her legal guardian is necessary before administering the Common Study Intake. There are two consent forms: One for youth younger than 18 years and one for young adults 18 or older.

Common Study Intake Form: Completed for all young adults who receive a regions’ YIT funded services or supports AND who provide consent to share this information. The intake form includes administrative information (that can be completed through record review) and an interview with the young adult. If the interview cannot be completed the administrative section should still be completed by staff (if consent has been provided). Common Study Intake should be completed within 7 calendars of intake into a region’s YIT funded system of care.
Topics covered include:

• Administrative information
• Young adult information
• Enrollment information
• Interview information
• Demographic information
• Functioning
• Stability in housing
• Education
• Crime and criminal justice status

YIT Participant Tracking Log: Regions need to maintain a tracking log of all young adults they serve through their YIT funded system of care. The log must provide a way for regions to connect ID numbers with names and track when they began services, when they finished, and when follow up dates are. The evaluation team created this tracking log using Microsoft Excel for regions if they do not want to develop their own.

Common Study Follow-Up: The Common Study Follow-Up form is administered by regions to young adults every six months for as long as they continue to receive YIT funded strategies and services from your region. There is a window of 30 days before or after six months following intake to complete the Common Study Follow-Up.

Regions are responsible for conducting Common Study Follow-Ups every 6 months as long as they continue to receive YIT funded strategies and services. However they are NOT responsible for finding the young adult for the sole purpose of conducting the interview portion of the follow up. If a follow-up interview cannot be conducted, regions still need to complete and submit the administrative portions of the Common Study Follow-Up.

Common Study Discharge: The Common Study Discharge form should ideally be conducted on the young adult’s last day receiving YIT funded strategies and services. If it cannot be conducted on the last day, please conduct the interview as close to the last day as possible.

Sometimes young adults will not be formally discharged, but we will lose contact with them (e.g., they move, stop coming in, phone number changes) and there is no way for us to reach them. In these cases they are considered “discharged” after 90 days of losing contact.

Regions are NOT responsible for finding the young adult for the sole purpose of conducting the Common Study Discharge interview. If they cannot conduct the discharge interview, they are still responsible for completing the administrative information on the Common Study Discharge for all young adults who are discharged or with whom regions have lost contact for 90 days or more.

Child Information Update Form: Administrative follow-up form required for all National Study participants every 6 months as long as they are enrolled in the National Study.