Evaluation of Outcomes of Youth and Young Adults Being Served under the Transition to Independence Process (TIP) Model by a Six Agency Collaborative

ABSTRACT

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the progress and outcomes of youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions being served by six agencies using the Transition to Independence Process (TIP) Model. The first study presents pre/post outcomes for the young people being served and examines some differential outcomes of gender, race, and diagnoses; and the second study involved a comparison between the TIP Model group and a typical case management group. The young people being served in the TIP Model showed improvements in areas of: daily-life functioning, employment, education, substance use, and involvement of hospitalization/crisis services related to mental health, drug use, and/or criminal justice. The comparison study demonstrated that the TIP Model group had better outcomes than the case management group. These improved outcomes were accomplished under a large county collaborative that had implemented the TIP Model and related supportive infrastructure. Implications of the finding and future research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Transition to adulthood
• serious mental health conditions
• outcomes of youth and young adults
• transition to independence process (TIP) model
• peer support specialists

Notes on contributor

Authors’ Note Direct correspondence regarding this manuscript to Rhonda Bohs, Ph.D. CEO, System of Care Partners, LLC, 1110 Johnson St, Hollywood, FL 33,019,[email protected].

The authors appreciate the additional evaluation efforts contributed by Jennifer Holtz, LMHC, of the System of Care Partners, LLC; and by Alfonso Ruiz, CRPS, from the Broward Behavioral Health Coalition who served as a Peer Evaluator & Data Collector. The authors also want to recognize Silvia Quintana, CEO, Broward Behavioral Health Coalition, Inc. for her support and assistance with this study. The authors thank the leadership of Broward County Community Partnership Division’s Children’s Services Administration and the Children’s Services Council of Broward County for their support in applying for the original grant – and the agency leadership, supervisors, and transition facilitators of the six transition teams and the young people they served at the following participating agencies: Camelot Community Care, Gulfcoast Jewish and Family Community Services, Henderson Behavioral Health, Smith Community Mental Health, South Florida Wellness Network, and Sunserve. The authors also recognize that TIP Model implementation could not have been accomplished without the excellent training and technical assistance provided by Adele Aparicio who served as the primary TIP Model national consultant to the Broward Behavioral Health Coalition. Adele is also a Certified Chief Fidelity Assessor for the TIP Model and is employed at the TIP Model purveyor: Stars Training Academy of the Stars Behavioral Health Group in Long Beach, CA.

The other two authors of this article are: Tiffany Lawrence, LMFT, Program Director, Broward Behavioral Health Coalition, 3521 W. Broward Blvd., Lauderhill, FL 33,312, [email protected] and Hewitt B. “Rusty” Clark, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida and Director, National Network on Youth Transition, 199 Dali Blvd., Unit 905, St Petersburg, FL 33,701, [email protected].

Disclosure of possible conflict of interest

The third author is the developer of the Transition to Independence Process (TIP) Model and is a Research Consultant to the Stars Behavioral Health Group that serves as the purveyor of the TIP Model.

Notes

1. The original data collection occurred under an expansion grant from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This expansion grant was entitled: One Community Partnership 2 (OCP2), SAMHSA grant number 1U79SM062454-01, with funding for 4 years. It was awarded to the Broward County Commission through its Community Partnership Division’s Children’s Services Administration and implemented by the Broward Behavioral Health Coalition, Inc with assistance from the Children Services Council of Broward County.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the SAMHSA [1U79SM062454-01].