Youth with mental health problems face many challenges not faced by youth that do not have mental health difficulties. Many of these young people drop out of school, do not have stable housing, have lower rates of access to employment and there are few services that address their needs. As part of the Pathways Transition Training Collaborative of the Pathways to Positive Futures Research and Training Center, we wanted to know what services are available for young people aged 14-30 with mental health needs within the Portland metropolitan area. We conducted face to face interviews with seven targeted key informants who provided information about mental health programs for young people in the transition years, and we also did internet research on the programs and emailed/called the programs with questions. Of the 38 programs researched, only fourteen reported that they accepted Oregon Health Plan (OLP). There were few programs that provided employment services (n = 4), healthcare (n = 2), and food (n = 1). There were not many programs that were culturally specific (n = 5). The data showed that there are few programs in the Portland area that meet the needs of young people in the transition years that have mental health difficulties. Through the process of research it became very apparent that there needs to be a network of communication between the programs, so they may better serve this population.

Despite strong public support for school counseling intervention programs, there remains a lack of state and federal funding for such programs. Typical of national trends, Seattle area schools in low-income communities suffer from a severe lack of funding for intervention programs. As a counseling intern in one of Seattle’s urban elementary and middle schools (PK-8), I have seen the impact that school counselors and interventions programs can have on a student’s personal and academic achievement. But, not much is known about whether the group interventions work as well as other forms of interventions. The hypothesis of this study is that the effectiveness of individual counseling combined with group intervention has a more significant impact than a singular approach. The methodological approach of this research is to conduct a literature review of current areas of effectiveness of school counseling programs in elementary schools; I will also conduct an interview with my practicum instructor, a school counselor. I anticipate that a combined approach is more useful because it gives students an opportunity to talk about academic and personal topics, allowing them to see that they are not alone. This study has implications for the planning and funding of elementary school interventions.

The University of Washington's National Education for Women's (NEW) Leadership is a national bi-partisan program to educate college women about the political process and teach them to become effective leaders. Despite having over ten years of programming and widespread support for the institute, no formal research has been conducted. The researcher is investigating numerous qualitative points for this review. One point poses the question as to whether NEW Leadership at the University of Washington has contributed to career paths for alumnae. Another asks if NEW Leadership helped participants better understand the political process and/or increase their desire to participate. The quantitative aspect of this research is to find out what percentage of alumnae has gone on to assume roles of leadership, while the qualitative portion revolves around exploring the satisfaction/dissatisfaction of past participants.This data will be collected in the form of an online survey with likerd scales, multiple choice menus, and open response sections. It is anticipated that this study will reveal the ways in which NEW Leadership at the University of Washington can be modified to meet the needs of the community it serves. The results of this research will lend reason to the planning and implementation of the program in years to come, allowing the curriculum to more accurately reflect the needs of participants: college women. The ultimate goal is for this project to contribute to the eventual development of the NEW Leadership program as an evidence-based practice (EBP) that is current and relevant to its audience to better ensure that more women go on to run for political office and serve in the public sector. The objective of EBP is the integration of participant perspectives, scientific evidence, and expert opinion to provide high-quality services that mirror the interests, needs, values, and choices of the women being served.