Mitchell, M., Schuurman, D., Shapiro, C., Sattler, S., Sorensen, C., Martinez, J. (2022): The L.Y.G.H.T. Program: An Evaluation of a Peer Grief Support Intervention for Youth in Foster Care. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-022-00843-7. ► LINK

Youth in foster care experience high rates of social, emotional, and behavioral challenges that are complicated by trauma and grief. To address these concerns, the current intervention study examines the efficacy of a newly developed peer grief support program, the L.Y.G.H.T. program, for youth in foster care, using an embedded sequential mixed methods design. Forty-two youth residing in three separate foster care group homes (“community sites”) in a southeastern state participated in this study. Youth were randomly assigned to either the treatment program or a waitlist control group. Baseline and post-intervention (after 6 weeks) assessments of the Children’s Hope Scale, the Inventory of Social Support, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Self Report were administered. After each weekly group, participants completed a survey to assess trauma-informed program environment and facilitators completed a survey to assess fidelity to the intervention. Focus groups (n = 3) were conducted at each of the community sites after the post-intervention assessments were completed. To examine program impact, we evaluated whether increases in well-being (i.e., social support, hopefulness, and self-worth) and decreases in total problem behaviors would be found for participants in the treatment group. Social support, hopefulness, and self-worth increased and total problems remained the same for youth in the treatment program. Large effects were found for program helpfulness, a trauma-informed program environment, and reduction in perceived problems. Focus group feedback explained why youth were initially interested in the program, perceived program benefits, program dislikes, barriers to program participation, recommendation of the program, and additional feedback. The findings suggest that the L.Y.G.H.T. program is an efficacious intervention which addresses loss and grief and enhances the well-being of youth in foster care who are grieving.