Slide Notes Hello, my name is Britney Brewster and I work for Street Smart Ventures. Today I am presenting some initial research that we have begun into why young women affected by various mental health concerns are performing so • STREET SMART VENTURES well in our entrepreneurial work program. One thing that I have heard in a Passion, Purpose, Progress. • presentation during the conference is that you don’t expect to see business in mental health treatment. I consider work therapy, so prepare to hear the Britney Brewster, Partner • opposite here. 860-989-2721 • Britney@ssventures.com • • www.ssventures.com
Slide Notes • What we do • Street Smart Ventures creates structured work experience programs designed to meet the needs of various customers and special populations. We believe entrepreneurship, work, and learning can be integrated into highly motivating and mentor rich activities to teach life, work, and academic skills. We use a highly engaging and flexible framework aptly named the Work and Learn model. It integrates hands on learning, positive mentoring, • entrepreneurship and work experiences. This model has been successfully adapted for middle school, high school, and adult populations. Why we do it • Our mission is to provide our clients and communities with creative, practical, and engaging sets of supports, opportunities and services. This is • designed for individuals, groups, and organizations that are committed to social change and a sense of fulfillment. Our vision is to work, live and play in a kind and engaged world with abundant possibilities for all. • How we do it • By stacking the deck for success! Tapping into Passion, Purpose and creating Progress. • W&L Model provides employment opportunities and is a learning environment for its participants. The framework teaches essential soft skills • (communication, leadership, influencing, interpersonal skills, creativity and professional skills) and enhances individual characteristics proven beneficial in educational and employment success (perseverance, emotional regulation skills, delayed gratification) and develops occupational skills. • Our W&L Model has been successfully implemented to help youth and adults in major cities across Connecticut, New Orleans, and Virginia. In 2002 we were awarded the Promising and Effective Practices Network Award by the Department of Labor and National Employment Coalition for best practices in youth employment and positive youth development.
Slide Notes • SSV has worked with Connecticut’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Young Adult Services Department for the past 12 years adapting and implementing our W&L program statewide for all of their YAS clients. • Young Adult Services- subset population • The young adult services division of the DMHAS serves emerging adults (18-25 years old) who have experienced: • multiple hospitalizations prior to the age of 18 • complex developmental trauma which must present as a co-occurring axis I diagnosis • average of 7-10 out of home placements prior to the age of 16 significant attachment disorders which make it extremely difficult to engage in treatment • may have comorbid substance abuse issues • have not had the opportunity to learn any of the necessary life skills or emotion regulation skills to cope with daily challenges • Summed up in one word: Vulnerable • What they need: • Become employed • Develop independent living skills, including financial literacy • Build support systems and engage with their community •
Slide Notes • YASBIZ • Young Adult Service Business, or YASBIZ, is an adaptation of our W&L Model created over the past decade with direct care staff and their emerging adults. The program runs statewide including 25 state and non-profit mental health agencies and community partners. The program consists of direct care staff from employment services, quality of life departments, social clubs and ACT teams. We call these staff • Advisors and they work directly with clients in the Young Adult Services Program who become our Entrepreneurs. During the course of the year, Entrepreneurs utilize our start up workbook to launch their very own business project with the help of their • Advisor, Mentors and program peers. After a funding pitch, they begin to produce their product or service and prepare to market themselves at their agency, at our Work & Learn events, and within their communities. These business projects begin small, as we stack the deck, and grow with our Entrepreneurs and their agencies. In some cases, these businesses • launch work crews benefitting their agency or become stand-alone store fronts in their community. The ripple effect within the agencies and communities is something that we have not yet begin to measure. • Examples: • BO, IC, Bridges
Visit this link to see the video https://youtu.be/BvtVGXdDwA0 To see more videos from YASBIZ check out Main YASBIZ on YouTube
Slide Notes YASBIZ MEASURES • Outcomes • Collected quarterly and have been completed by Advisors or co-occurring documentation with Entrepreneurs • Rated everything from specific skill development to intrinsic motivation • Event Surveys • Optional survey that is to be completed during our Work & Learn events. They cover things like program satisfaction, work preparation needs and cooperation with peers. • Interesting Leads • Previous data revealed that programming has drawn female participants at a higher rate than male participants. Based on data we have collected, the YASBIZ program participant ratio is nearly • 60% female and 40% male. These statistics were compared to the DMHAS young adult participant ratios which currently are 60% male and only 40% female. Initial background research supports the idea that business-based programming is typically more engaging to young men than young women. • Entrepreneurship opportunities are still dominated by male proprietors, which make the increased exposure of women to entrepreneurship profound. • This left us with some hunches: • What themes are connecting with women • Gender Studies, young adult, skills training, empowerment, cooperation, flexibility, creative, teams, successful halo effect • Do female staff have something to do with this? • Are we targeting skills that women already innately possess? • Related to mental health coping skills • Emotional vs. physical • Look at the diff kinds of businesses • Removing the business obstacles •
Slide Notes • 2019 RESEARCH • The purpose of this study was to examine potential contributing factors to the present skew in female participation in programming. We will specifically explore gender norms, attitudes toward work, value of role models, coping skills, preexisting work and life skills compared to specific skill attainment. We will explore relationship building within the program, value of experiences gained within the program setting and how applicable those experiences have been in real life work settings. These conclusions will help us make recommendations for engagement techniques and how to successfully target solutions for young men and women transitioning to adulthood, independence and work they enjoy. This research was initial front-end work. We conducted qualitative, grounded, exploratory research. • Methodology: Two researchers held two gender isolated focus groups, used semi-structured interviews which resulted in valuable qualitative research • to further our understanding and generate hypotheses. Our next step will be to conduct a typical experiment that would utilize a test group and a control group. This research is hypothesis generating and is • not impacted by bias, and objectivity is not a concern in this research study.
Slide Notes • FINDINGS • Researchers used a grounded theory research method to move through the qualitative data collected and determine conclusions. Analysis of the text including open coding, value-based coding, and categorization of ideas and development of themes will be used. After preliminary coding, we were left with three categories, each with plenty of sub-categories to give us insight into our hypotheses for further testing. • As I continue through the findings, you will see quotes from the qualitative data that include contributions from both male and female focus groups • speaking about the program, their experiences and opinions. I will point out the important findings that came specifically from the female focus group which is leading us to our additional research.
92.5% 97.5% YASBIZ program has given me YASBIZ program helped me become confidence to try new things part of a larger community
Slide Notes • SOCIAL INTERACTIVE BENEFITS (PASSION) • Sub-category Samples • Participation/engagement • Peer influence • Community • Self-expression/pride • Contribution • Financial independence • Self Reports from event surveys: 66.7% agree completely- People in YASBIZ have a positive influence on each other, I am • excited to learn new skills from my peers 65% agree completely- I am good at managing my responsibility • 92.5%- YASBIZ program helped me become a part of a larger community • 97.5%- YASBIZ program has given me confidence to try new things •
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