Developing aftercare: Phase I: Consumer feedback

For many adolescents with disabilities the reintegration into the home and school settings following a stay in out-of-home care is fraught with difficulties. Although many return to environments that do not facilitate school success, few services and supports are available. As a result these youth are more likely to demonstrate poor homework completion, academic failure, and dropout prior to graduation. To date, no known empirically based intervention exists to address these risks and support these youth and their families during this critical reintegration period. This article reports the findings from Phase 1 in the development of an academic-based aftercare for adolescents reintegrating into the home and community school settings following a stay in out-of-home care. Data were collected from 31 youth, parents, and school professionals through 9 structured nominal group technique focus groups to determine factors that would contribute to participant buy-in and long-term participation. Common themes identified include the desire for program flexibility, 24-hour on-call support, and well trained, supportive staff. Service and training implications, study limitations, and future research are discussed.