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Cognitive Behavior and Attachment Theory to Assist African American Youth aging out of the child welfare system

By

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the study1

Purpose statement2

Hypothesis2

Dissertation layout2

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW5

Theoretical framework5

Attachment Theory5

Cognitive Behavior Theory6

Intervention Theory8

Critical Race Theory9

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY12

Program Activities12

Evaluation Process13

Rorschach test15

Tree Test15

The test of drawing the human figure16

Evaluation Protocol16

REFERENCES17

APPENDICES25

Appendix A - Logic Model25

APPENDIX B26

Appendix C - Session Activities30

Section 1:30

I. GET-ACQUAINTED ACTIVITY30

II. WHAT IS STRESS?30

III. WHAT IS DEPRESSION?30

IV. PERSONAL GOALS30

V. MOOD DIARY30

VI. PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT30

V. SHARING ACTIVITY31

Section 2:32

I.REVIEW32

II. GUIDELINES FOR THIS GROUP32

II. IDENTIFYING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS32

III. FEELINGS ABOUT THE GROUP32

IV. MOOD QUESTIONNAIRE32

V. PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT32

VI. SHARING ACTIVITY33

Session 3 Agenda & Summary34

I. REVIEW34

II. IDENTIFYING ACTIVATING EVENTS34

III. INCREASING POSITIVE THINKING34

IV. PERSONAL GOALS, REVISITED34

V. PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT34

VI. SHARING ACTIVITY34

Session 4 Agenda & Summary36

I. REVIEW36

II. PRACTICE IDENTIFYING UNREALISTIC THOUGHTS36

III. CHANGING UNREALISTIC THINKING to REALISTIC THINKING36

IV. PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT36

V. SHARING ACTIVITY36

Session 5 Agenda & Summary38

I. REVIEW38

II. DISCOVERING UNDERLYING NEGATIVE BELIEFS38

III. IS IT REALLY ABOUT ME?38

IV. PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT38

V. SHARING EXERCISE38

Session 6 Agenda & Summary40

I. REVIEW40

II. MORE A-B-C PRACTICE or SOURCES OF BELIEFS40

III. USING PROBLEM SOLVING TO COPE WITH ACTIVATING EVENTS40

IV. PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT40

V. SHARING ACTIVITY41

Session 7 Agenda & Summary42

I. REVIEW42

III. USING A-B-C IN YOUR LIFE42

IV. PROMPTS or Catch Up42

V. PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT43

VI. SHARING ACTIVITY43

I. EMERGENCY PLANNING43

II. MAINTAINING YOUR GAINS43

III. QUESTIONNAIRES44

IV. LAST SHARING ACTIVITY44

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The African American experience in the American foster care system has changed over time, much like their experience in American society. What we see today in terms of the African American population within foster care is very different than that of the African American population in foster care over a hundred years ago. Throughout time, and for various reasons, African Americans have experienced a shift in regards to how their experience in the child welfare system as a whole and how they wind up in foster care systems across the country plays out. What we see today is that what once was a system that virtually shut out African Americans yet is now more than ever a system that experiences a vast disproportionality in rates of placement. This is a foster care system in which the majorities are African Americans and minorities.

“Disproportionality” and “disparity” are two terms that have been used widely within studies of child welfare systems. Most specifically, it has traditionally been argued that African American children and families are consistently overrepresented in child welfare systems even though they may not necessarily be the perpetrators of child abuse and neglect at a higher rate than any other ethnicities. It has also been argued by researchers that African Americans also tend to spend a greater length of time in foster care than other ethnicities (Signer, 2008). Of note is the fact that research indicates that although African Americans are heavily overrepresented in child welfare systems across the nation often-times they are overwhelmingly representing the minority in the specific demographic area (Hill, 2006). In an article entitled Synthesis of Research on Disproportionality in Child Welfare: An Update, AFCARS1 and 2000 Census data were used to determine disproportionality rates for out-of-home placements at the national ...