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The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the lived experience of nine African-American men and women who spent a significant amount of their childhood and adolescent years in the foster care system and the effects on their adult development. Participants were recruited for semi-structured interviews using purposeful and snowball sampling. Participants included nine African-American men and women ages 25 to 55 (mean = 43.3) identified as being raised for a minimum of five years in foster care with no less than three changes in foster care placement, they were legally and gainfully employed in a chosen field with evidence of progressive responsibility for a minimum of three years. They graduated from the foster care system at age 18 or 21 without being adopted and were reported to be in good physical and mental health. Participant interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. The resultant data corpus included transcriptions of the audio taped interviews, demographic and supplemental question forms and documents authorized for use by participants such as interviews and autobiographies. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze the data corpus. The analysis resulted in eleven sub-ordinate themes that were organized under four super-ordinate themes that served to explain the lived experience of being raised in long-term foster care. The four super-ordinate themes were: Feeling thrown away while needing to belong; Participant's perceptions of memorable relationships while in care; Navigating the pathways to resilience; and Finding meaning through reconciling the past and creating a future. Study results were discussed in terms of a life-span exploration of the participants' lived experiences that included their time before placement, during placement and at emancipation/after placement. The substantive findings of this study showed that the overarching themes centered on how the participants navigated the multiple and complex relationships they were exposed to and what they learned about themselves and internalized based on the messages they received in those relationships. Of additional significance was the development of coping strategies to manage those feelings and beliefs that ultimately contributed to their resilience and survival. / Counseling Psychology

This study evaluated clinical and cultural barriers to help seeking to identify which factor best predicted African American undergraduate student initial attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help (ATSPPH-short form). Predictor variables included anticipated utility, emotional openness, cultural mistrust, racial identity development, and stigma. Moderator variables controlled for prior counseling, gender and site. This study built upon prior research by evaluating clinical and cultural factors together and utilizing an information processing model to conceptualize data (Vogel et al., 2006). The focus on African American undergraduate students was based on retention problems for this population (American Council on Education, 2006) and underutilization of counseling by this population despite evidence of links between counseling & college persistence (Alford, 2000; Hamilton, 2006; Kearney, Draper & Barron, 2005; Trippi & Cheatham, 1991; & Wilson, Mason & Ewing, 1997). Sixty seven students from two Northeastern US colleges were surveyed. Direct correlation analysis found nine significant relationships with ATSPPH. Controlled for prior counseling use, anticipated benefit (r = .423, p=.001), Emotional Openness (r = .330, p=.010), and an Assimilationist Ideology of Racial Identity (r = .296, p=.022) were correlated with ATSPPH. Stepwise Multiple Regression found four significant predictors of attitudes, anticipated benefit (F=15.062, p<.001), Private Regard subscale of Racial Identity Development (F=13.845, p<.001), Prior Counseling (F=11.791, p<.001), and Emotional Openness (F=10.485, p<.001). Predictors appeared to match each level of the information processing model, suggesting a complex decision making process. Future research might repeat the model with greater or different populations. / Counseling Psychology

The purpose of this quantitative secondary data analysis was to examine the effect of family, school, and community context on high schools whose students participate in financial aid preparation services. Data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 were analyzed to answer the two research questions using Perna's conceptual model of college enrollment behaviors that explores how students gain and utilize information about financial aid and college prices. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the extent of high school participation in financial aid services. The results indicated a varying degree of these interventions being offered at high schools ranging from 22% to 52%. Schools sending students reminders of FAFSA deadlines (52%) and disseminating flyers/pamphlets on financial aid (50%) were the only two interventions that had a slight majority of schools participating. Multiple regression was used to determine if a relationship existed between the outcome variable (participation in financial aid preparation services) and several family context and school context predictor variables for eight financial aid interventions. Results revealed school context variables as the best predictors of the outcome variable. Counselor caseload and school control were the most effective in predicting high school participation in the eight financial aid preparation services, though these greatly differed according to the type of intervention. Findings provide potential implications for research and practice, including highlighting ways in which K-12 and higher education can coordinate.