Statewide Youth Services Network (SYSN)

Texas Home Visiting (THV)

Texas Nurse-Family Partnership (TNFP)

Healthy Outcomes through Prevention & Early Intervention (HOPES)

Family and Youth Success (FAYS)

Texas Service Members, Veterans, and Families (SMVF)

What would clients say about the process to enroll in this program?

How do you think the recruitment and/or intake and enrollment process feels to clients?

What is the most common reason clients cannot access or choose not to utilize this program?

When clients use this program, how do you think they feel throughout the process?

What are the most common methods used to connect clients to other services they need when accessing this program?

What efforts are made to keep clients using this program if they still need the service it provides?

What are the most common situations where clients can no longer use or access this program?

After exiting or using the clients, if a family member was asked by a friend or peer about this program, what do clients typically say?

How do you think clients feel when they exit this program?

What is the impact on clients who have successfully used this program?

What is the impact on clients unable to utilize this program?

Statewide Youth Services Network (SYSN)

Texas Home Visiting (THV)

Texas Nurse-Family Partnership (TNFP)

Healthy Outcomes through Prevention & Early Intervention (HOPES)

Challenges

• Most challenges mentioned are in regards to basic needs, which has intensified after the pandemic. These basic needs include:

  • Financial stability & low income status

  • Maintaining steady employment

  • Housing instability & few housing resources

  • Lack of child care

  • Social isolation; lack of family/social support

• Life stage changes (i.e. child on the way)

Strength

• Clients are willing to share knowledge with others

  • Especially after the pandemic, this longing for connection has increased and has led to individuals seeking more connections

Statewide Youth Services Network (SYSN)

Texas Home Visiting (THV)

Texas Nurse-Family Partnership (TNFP)

Healthy Outcomes through Prevention & Early Intervention (HOPES)

• Getting parent consent for the program is required and can be a barrier

• Lack of awareness about programs

  • Most individuals hear about programs through service referrals from schools, WIC, pediatric practices, word of mouth, etc

  • Parent advisory committees have been instrumental in getting the word out about programs

• Lengthy enrollment processes

  • Electronic enrollments have made enrollment less challenging, but there are still complaints regarding the number of requirements (i.e. requiring SSN, DOB, etc.)

  • It is helpful for individual grantees and providers to walk families through the process, explain why the information is needed, and reassure them

    • This is why staff retention is a priority, as staff who have been with these programs for longer understand the nuances of the enrollment process and know how to adequately walk families through it

  
  

Statewide Youth Services Network (SYSN)

Texas Home Visiting (THV)

Texas Nurse-Family Partnership (TNFP)

Healthy Outcomes through Prevention & Early Intervention (HOPES)

• Relationships between provider and client was the most highlighted response

  • This relationship is especially important because it is then mirrored in clients' personal/family relationships.

Statewide Youth Services Network (SYSN)

Texas Home Visiting (THV)

Texas Nurse-Family Partnership (TNFP)

Healthy Outcomes through Prevention & Early Intervention (HOPES)

• Reactions are often dependent on relationships with providers

• Many parents want to become advocates or be involved in other ways

• Youth feel very supported by their peers

• Providers who have "expedited pathways" to mental health support and link families with immediate support are important indicators of family retention in programs

Family and Youth Success (FAYS)

Texas Service Members, Veterans, and Families (SMVF)

Challenges

• Navigating child's issues in school like bullying

• Monitoring child's social media usage

• Specifically with SMVF: families are often moving or getting deployed and moving away from their support systems

• Mental health challenges have been increasing recently. Unfortunately, there is no long-term mental health support provided by programs

• Financial instability

  • Many parents pick up extra shifts/jobs to meet families' basic needs. Parents then are tired from these extra responsibilities and are left with little time to work on other important tasks, like navigating resources and learning about complex systems

• Information overload

  • Sometimes it seems like too many programs are out there. This is overwhelming for parents, as it is difficult to know what resources are current or who to reach out to. Navigating these resources is extremely time-consuming

Strengths

• Clients are self-selecting into programs, demonstrating their help-seeking behavior

• Many clients are seeking connection with others to mitigate social isolation

• Families are trying to do the best for their children, even during the most stressful times. It is apparent that families are passionate about doing better.

• Clients are willing to share knowledge with other families, especially through family & youth advisory committees.

Family and Youth Success (FAYS)

Texas Service Members, Veterans, and Families (SMVF)

• Localized referral system is helpful

• Sensitive questions regarding topics like income, family violence, and struggles may deter families from enrolling

  • After 2 or 3 engagements with families, they are more likely to share more information. Intake is a multi-day process.

    • Assessments can take 1 to 1.5 hour

• Families are less likely to lose interest if they can enroll soon after hearing about program

• Language barriers

  • There has been an increase in other languages spoken in Texas. Programs have often prepared for Spanish interpreters, but there is now an increased need for interpreters of other languages.

• The ability for staff to relate/connect immediately during the intake process is significant for clients, especially if they are anticipating making a long-term commitment to the program.

Family and Youth Success (FAYS)

Texas Service Members, Veterans, and Families (SMVF)

• Families are willing to stay in programs longer when they feel heard and trust their provider

  • This becomes a challenge when providers refer families elsewhere, especially in short-term programs. If the client does not feel connected to the new provider, clients may want to return to the program. This becomes challenging if the programs fill up quickly/do not have capacity.

  • Financial support received from programs is minimal, so that relationship is a critical tool

Family and Youth Success (FAYS)

Texas Service Members, Veterans, and Families (SMVF)

• Clients feel satisfied and confident upon program completion

  • Graduation/completion events are often held. Clients will sometimes invite their entire families to celebrate program completion; this is a sentimental event for many.

• Upon exiting the program, families may feel nervous and feel that they are "losing support". However, they also feel reassured knowing they have a new tool in their toolbox as a result of the program.

• With home visits, home visitor turnover is a big factor for whether a family stays in a program.

• Changes in schedule like returning to school or changing employment may cause families to have to withdraw from the program.

• Challenges with substance use, CPS, crisis situations, etc may also cause challenges in families' abilities to remain in the program.