The overall purpose of this study was to examine the impact of psychological well-being on mental health and behavioral outcomes among transitioning homeless youth in a New York City shelter. The main objective was to elucidate the relationship between psychological health, distress, and behavioral program outcomes. Participants were 116 formerly homeless young adults enrolled in the transitional living Rights of Passage program at Covenant House New York; a homeless youth shelter providing both crisis services and residential transitional living programs to young adults age 18 – 21. The correlates of psychological distress and program outcome were studied in relation to psychological well-being as measured by the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB) identifying 6 core components of positive psychological functioning including Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, Positive Relationships with Others, Personal Growth, Purpose in Life, and Self-Acceptance. Markers of psychological distress were measured by using the PHQ-9 (Depression), GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety), PTSD Checklist - Civilian Version (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), GHQ-12 (General Distress), while behavioral outcome data (i.e., behavioral infractions/disciplinary incidents, employment, discharge disposition, education advancement, and total savings) were assessed via the Efforts to Outcome (ETO) online software database maintained by Covenant House New York. Results of Pearson r correlations demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between psychological well-being and psychopathology. Stepwise regression analyses also showed that certain components of psychological well-being accounted for a significant portion of the variance over time in anxiety, PTSD, and general distress above and beyond initial levels of psychopathology. Additionally, Pearson r correlations and ANOVA analyses demonstrated significant associations with psychological well-being and program outcome including behavioral infractions (verbal conflicts, and non-compliance infractions), time unemployed, total savings, and G.E.D. obtainment. In contrast, psychopathology demonstrated significant associations with only behavioral infractions (verbal conflicts) and total savings. Findings suggest that psychological well-being is differentially associated with program outcome from psychopathology and that interventions aimed at homeless youth may benefit from incorporation of strengths-based, positive psychological approaches.

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theology Union at Chicago, 2004. / Includes abstract. "December 2004." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-73).

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theology Union at Chicago, 2004. / Includes abstract. "December 2004." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-73).

The dynamics of the youth shelters and the repercutions to children and adolescents after being in such institutions have been increasingly studied. In 2009, a new Law was created, proposing renewal of the existing practices in such places, which have already been changed since the Children and Adolescents Statute. From such starting point, the research which originates the following thesis aimed to know how psychologists and social workers, employees of technical teams of youth shelters, perceive some of the changes of the new National Adoption Law (Law 12010/2009). It is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study, carried out with eight professionals, four psychologists and four social workers, the total number of professionals of youth shelters in the city where the research was carried out. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with openended questions, which were analyzed through content analysis. Results are presented in three articles. In the first of them, the aim is to understand the changes that the new Law may bring to the relationship among families and youth shelters. The interviewed professionals show consistent knowledge about the new Law and highlight good initiatives concerning the work towards families of children and adolescents in such situation. However, some stigmatizing discourses related to the families are identified. The second article reflects about the understanding of the interviewed professionals about the changes in their work, after the new Law. Such study points out that youth shelters are understood by participants as places that combine the old and new features of the institutionalization history, which demonstrates that there are ambivalences and practices that need to be overcome. Yet, a movement generated by the new National Adoption Law regarding the practice of interviewed professionals is clear, demanding more agility and speed in the development of the work. The third article concerns family reinsertion, problematizing such practice that is encouraged by the new Law. Results evidence that professionals exhaust the possiblities of searching for the family, and only after, try to guarantee family and community living, counting on the extensive family, which presents peculiarities, according to the participants. In order to promote reinsertion, listening to the family has been valued, guiding the actions. Results also focus the facilities and the difficulties during the resinsertions process, the practices used to promote it and the farewell from the institution. The reality portrayed in such articles shows that it is not possible to infer general characteristics about the situation. However, there seems to be a movement of change happening, as concerns the total number of participants, showing the advance or the stagnation evidenced in their discourses do not refer to the lack of knowledge about the new law, but to the closeness or the distance of the prevailing practices throughout the years. / A dinâmica das instituições de acolhimento institucional e as repercussões trazidas às crianças e aos adolescentes, em função da passagem por estas entidades, têm sido cada vez mais estudadas. No ano de 2009, surgiu uma nova lei que propôs uma renovação de práticas existentes nesses locais, os quais já vinham sendo transformados desde o Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente. Partindo desse pressuposto, a pesquisa que origina a presente dissertação teve por objetivo geral conhecer como psicólogos e assistentes sociais, funcionários das equipes técnicas de instituições de acolhimento institucional, percebem algumas das mudanças na nova Lei Nacional de Adoção (Lei 12010/2009). Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, de caráter exploratório e descritivo, realizado com oito profissionais, quatro psicólogos e quatro assistentes sociais, que compõem a totalidade de técnicos das instituições de acolhimento na cidade onde a pesquisa foi realizada. Foram utilizadas entrevistas semidirigidas de questões abertas, as quais foram analisadas por meio de análise de conteúdo. Os resultados são apresentados em três artigos. No primeiro deles, busca-se compreender as mudanças que a nova Lei pode trazer para a relação entre as famílias e as instituições de acolhimento. Considera-se que os profissionais entrevistados demonstram muita propriedade acerca do conhecimento sobre a nova Lei e destacam boas iniciativas com relação ao trabalho direcionado às famílias das crianças e dos adolescentes em acolhimento. Entretanto, cabe salientar que ainda se identificam alguns discursos estigmatizantes em relação às famílias. O segundo artigo reflete sobre a compreensão dos profissionais entrevistados acerca das mudanças ocorridas em seu trabalho, a partir da vigência da nova Lei. O estudo aponta que o acolhimento institucional é compreendido pelos participantes como um espaço que ainda agrega o velho e o novo da história da institucionalização, o que demonstra que há ambivalências e práticas que precisam ser ainda superadas. Mesmo assim, fica claro um movimento gerado pela nova Lei Nacional de Adoção na prática dos profissionais entrevistados, o que tem exigido dos mesmos mais agilidade e rapidez no desempenho do trabalho técnico. O terceiro artigo trata da reinserção familiar, problematizando essa prática que passou a ser incentivada pela nova Lei. Os resultados evidenciam que os profissionais procuram esgotar as possibilidades de busca na família para posteriormente partir para outras formas de garantir a convivência familiar e comunitária, utilizando-se também da família extensa, a qual apresenta peculiaridades, de acordo com os participantes. Para promover a reinserção, a escuta da criança tem sido valorizada, guiando as ações. Os resultados enfocam também as facilidades e os entraves presentes na reinserção, as práticas exercidas para promovê-la e ainda a despedida da instituição. Diante da realidade constatada nesses artigos, não há como traçar generalizações sobre esse grupo, mas pode-se dizer que há na totalidade dos participantes um movimento acontecendo e que o avanço ou a estagnação evidenciados em seus discursos não se referem à falta de conhecimento sobre a nova Lei, mas sobretudo à permanência ou o distanciamento acerca das práticas que prevaleceram ao longo dos anos.