A mentoring and skills group program for preadolescent children (ages 9–11) who have current or previous child welfare involvement due to one or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). These ACEs may include the experience of maltreatment; out-of-home placement; instability in housing, caregivers, or schools; and/or parental substance use, mental illness, or incarceration. Skill Groups are designed to help children process experiences related to ACFs. The children are paired with graduate student mentors. The program targets risk and protective factors that have been identified as strong predictors of adolescent mental health problems, risk behaviors and associated outcomes.
Focus Population
Children
Target Problems or Risk Factors
Delinquency/Criminal Behavior, Drug Problems, General Risk, Mental Health Problems, Sexual (Abuse, Assault, Risk, STIs, etc)
Level of Intervention
Selective, Indicated
Settings in Which Program Can Be Delivered
Community, Home, School, Social Service Agency, including public and private agencies, group homes, and shelters
Latinos in Participant Samples
Yes - Substantial (31% to 55%)
Type of Program
Generic
Registry
CEBC
Strength of Evidentiary Support
2-Star (⭐⭐) CEBC - Mentoring Programs (Child & Adolescent), 1-Star (⭐) CEBC - Mental Health Prevention and/or Early Intervention (Child and Adolescent), 1-Star (⭐) CEBC - Multiproblem Approaches (Child & Adolescent), 1-Star (⭐) CEBC - Placement Stabilization Programs, 1-Star (⭐) CEBC - Trauma Treatment (Child & Adolescent)
Cost of the Program
No
Availability of the program in Spanish and/or Portuguese
Spanish
Contact Information
Heather Taussig, PhD
Professor and Associate Dean for Research
University of Denver
Graduate School of Social Work
Email: heather.taussig@du.edu
Phone: (303) 871-2937
