Youth-Serving Systems

The family, schools, and health care delivery systems are the first and most constant systems in most children’s lives. Children who have experienced abuse and neglect, homelessness, chronic poverty, pervasive community violence, or behavioral disorders may also be involved with the child welfare, justice, and mental health systems—sometimes simultaneously. Estimates suggest that 40 percent of youth in child welfare and as many as 70 percent of youth in juvenile justice have an unmet behavioral or mental health need.

AIR’s work with youth-serving systems is always built on a foundation of positive youth development and a commitment to engaging youth and families in solutions. We conduct research to learn what works to strengthen these systems so we can serve youth better and evaluate interventions to measure their impact.

We increase the capacity of government and community agencies in child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, and homelessness to support the coordination of essential cross-system initiatives. Our research, evaluation, and technical assistance bring public health systems together with justice, child welfare, education, and community agencies to improve practice and increase collaboration with the ultimate goal of preventing youth violence and the mistreatment of children.

Related Topics

Child Welfare
Housing and Homelessness
Juvenile Justice
Mental Health
Mentoring and Re-entry

Latest Work

13 Apr 2017
Service

Content and Technical Expertise in Refugee and Migrant Initiatives

AIR offers a broad range of services in areas that support our human rights and refugee initiatives. We are committed to applying and producing the best evidence and the highest quality work. Our quality assurance process encompasses all stages of a project, from research design to evidence-based conclusions and recommendations, to implementation and scale-up.
Topic: 
Reading and Literacy, Social and Emotional Learning, Disability and Rehabilitation, Workforce Development, English Language Learners, School Crime and Safety, School Discipline, Trauma-Informed Care, Violence Prevention, Youth-Serving Systems, International, Refugee and Migrant Populations
13 Jan 2017
Video

Family Engagement: Strengthening Family Involvement to Improve Outcomes for Children

Family engagement seeks better outcomes for children and families by actively involving them in the different systems that serve them. Lacy Wood and Rebecca Ornelas discuss how family engagement may improve both academic outcomes and mental health for children.
Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan, Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Youth-Serving Systems
1 Jan 2017
ESSA

ESSA │Family and Community Engagement

Evidence is mounting that family engagement in education is a necessary component for positive student outcomes and overall school improvement.

Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Mental Health, Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Mentoring, Youth-Serving Systems
8 Dec 2016
Blog Post

Transitions to Adulthood: Succeeding in College

At 21, many foster youth “age out” of financial benefits and supports from the child welfare system—before they even finish college. Given the challenges they face, it’s not surprising that only 3 to 10 percent of them earn undergraduate degrees compared with 34 percent of young adults who weren’t in foster care. What can states do to ensure foster youth have the support they need to graduate from college? In this blog post, Patricia Campie provides an overview of the educational challenges foster students face in the transition to college.
Topic: 
College and Career Readiness, P-12 Education and Social Development, Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Child Welfare, Youth-Serving Systems
Nov 2016
Project

Defending Childhood American Indian/Alaska Native Policy Initiative: Supporting Trauma-Informed Juvenile Justice Systems for Tribes

The 2014 Attorney General’s Advisory Committee report on American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence proclaimed the need for a re-imagined and re-created tribal juvenile justice system focused on prevention, treatment, and healing. AIR and its partners seek to serve and support the vision of promoting the health and well-being of tribal youth, families, and communities by providing technical assistance to foster the development and implementation of innovative, culturally appropriate, and sustainable trauma-informed response models across all child-serving systems.
19 Oct 2016
Blog Post

Growing Up in Foster Care: High School and College Prep

Eighty-four percent of foster kids say they want to attend college, but only 20 percent will enroll and, at most, 6 percent will earn a bachelor’s degree. What can be done to help foster youths achieve their educational aspirations? In this blog post, Patricia Campie provides an overview of the educational challenges foster students face and highlights a new program that aims to train foster families to build a college-going culture in their homes.
Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Youth-Serving Systems
1 Jul 2016
Journal Article

Developing a Federal Research Agenda for Positive Youth Development: Identifying Gaps in the Field and an Effective Consensus Building Approach

The field of positive youth development (PYD) is at an important crossroads in scope and future research directions. This paper describes an effective consensus building process that representatives from 16 federal agencies used to develop a PYD product and research agenda.

Topic: 
Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan, Mental Health, Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Youth-Serving Systems
23 Jun 2016
Blog Post

Growing Up in Foster Care: Our Littlest Ones

One-third of the 400,000 children in foster care enter the system before age five, just as they should be making the transition from preschool to kindergarten. Seventy-five percent of kids in foster care must change schools, often multiple times, which means they tend to fall behind their classmates, miss more days in school, and experience lower high school graduation rates and less success in college. In this blog post, Patricia Campie offers five research-based ways to bolster school readiness and reduce risks when early entry into foster care disrupts children’s educational opportunities.
Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Child Welfare, Youth-Serving Systems
13 Nov 2015
Video

How Research Can Offer Solutions to the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Helping youth at risk escape the school-to-prison pipeline is a growing concern for educators, researchers, communities and providers. The School-Justice Partnerships Certificate Program, the first of its kind, brings together Georgetown University's Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, AIR experts, and educational and juvenile justice leaders to provide research-based solutions for those who work with youth at risk. In this video, experts speak to their experiences addressing the school-to-prison pipeline and how the program can help.
Topic: 
School Climate and Safety, School Discipline, Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Juvenile Justice, Youth-Serving Systems
4 Jun 2015
Commentary

Cautious Optimism and a Path Forward to Reduce Bullying

Bullying is on the decline, but evidence is mounting that it is even more toxic for children and adolescents than previously thought. In this commentary, David Osher suggests the need for an interim strategy until anti-bullying efforts are in full force, such as the infusion approach, which integrates anti-bullying initiatives into other school-wide activities.
Topic: 
Social and Emotional Learning, Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Youth-Serving Systems
12 May 2015
Brief

Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach for Youth Across Service Sectors

Recent upheaval in urban areas reminds us of the devastating impact of trauma on young people. This issue brief defines trauma and highlights its prevalence, opportunities for recovery, and offers seven core principles of a trauma-informed approach for youth service providers.
Topic: 
Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Trauma-Informed Care, Youth-Serving Systems
Jan 2015
Project

Safe and Successful Youth Initiative in Massachusetts (SSYI)

Youth violence disrupts communities and businesses, increases health care costs, and decreases property values—not to mention the human impact. The Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) in Massachusetts combines health and safety approaches to eliminating serious violence among high-risk, urban youth. Does it work? Three new AIR evaluations, announced by MA former governor Patrick, showed youth not involved in SSYI were 42% more likely to be incarcerated than youth who were.
19 Oct 2014
Report

Evaluation of the Coach Across America Sports-Based Youth Development Program - Final Report

Research shows that coaches have the ability to affect youths' decision-making. AIR researchers evaluated the impact of Coach Across America, a sports-based youth development program, on underserved youth nationwide over the course of the 2013-2014 program year.
Topic: 
Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Youth-Serving Systems
Oct 2014
Project

School’s Out New York City (SONYC) Evaluation

School’s Out New York City (SONYC)—a pathway to success for youth in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades—offers afterschool programming for New York City (NYC) middle schoolers in a variety of activity areas.

1 Oct 2014
Report

The Impact of the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative on City-Level Youth Crime Victimization Rates

To address serious youth violence, particularly that involving guns, Massachusetts initiated the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative in 2011, providing a comprehensive public health approach to addressing young men, between the ages of 14-24, believed to be at “proven risk” for being involved with firearms.
Topic: 
Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Juvenile Justice, Violence Prevention, Youth-Serving Systems
10 Sep 2014
App

T4TA: Text 4 Technical Assistance

T4TA: Text 4 Technical Assistance connects users with experts and resources through their mobile phones on topics such as child welfare, juvenile justice, school climate, mentoring, youth development, and addressing disparities.
Topic: 
Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, Mentoring, Youth-Serving Systems
5 May 2014
Brief

The Role of System of Care Communities in Developing and Sustaining School Mental Health Services

In honor of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day and National Mental Health Awareness Month, AIR highlights the role schools and communities can play through systems of care to develop supports and services for children and youth with or at risk of mental health or other behavioral challenges.
Topic: 
Mental Health, Youth-Serving Systems
Jun 2013
Project

Interagency Working Group Seeks Feedback on Plan that Addresses Youth Issues

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs seeks comments on a draft strategic plan, Pathways for Youth, found on Youth.gov. It will support federal efforts to address issues faced by disconnected youth. AIR staff conducted listening sessions and gathered information to help develop the plan.

13 Jul 2012
Website

Youth.gov Offers New LGBT Section

Youth.gov, the website of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, unveiled a new topic dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues. The section includes comprehensive information and resources for organizations and communities that are interested in providing safe and supportive environments for LGBT youth and their families.
Topic: 
P-12 Education and Social Development, Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Child Welfare, LGBTQ Youth, Youth-Serving Systems
13 Jun 2011
Report

AIR Is Represented at U.S. Education Department’s First LGBT Youth Summit

Jeffrey Poirier, a senior research analyst, represented AIR at the first Federal lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Youth Summit held June 6-7, 2011 in Washington, D.C.  The two-day summit, “Creating and Maintaining Safe and Supportive Environments for LGBT Youth,” was hosted by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.

Topic: 
Families, Communities, and Social Systems, LGBTQ Youth, Youth-Serving Systems
13 Apr 2011
Report

Listening Session Summary: Focus on Youth Enrichment, Youth Engagement, Youth Mentoring, and Positive Youth Development (San Francisco, CA)

This summary is one of ten reports from a series of public listening sessions held by the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP) and supported and facilitated by AIR.
Topic: 
Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Mentoring, Youth-Serving Systems
Apr 2011
Project

Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP)

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs was formed in 2008 to enhance collaboration among 19 federal departments/agencies to improve outcomes for youth.
21 Apr 2000
Guide

Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide

The purpose of this Action Guide is to help schools develop and implement a comprehensive violence prevention plan grounded in the principles of the Early Warning Guide. This Action Guide is based on evidence-based practices. Effective action plans are strategic, coordinated, and comprehensive. They involve schoolwide prevention, early intervention, and intensive services for students with significant emotional or behavioral needs, including those with disruptive, destructive, or violent behaviors.

Topic: 
Social and Emotional Learning, P-12 Education and Social Development, School Crime and Safety, Mental Health, Families, Communities, and Social Systems, Violence Prevention, Youth-Serving Systems