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• 21. [Article] Work-Family Conflict and Employee Sleep: Evidence from IT Workers in the Work, Family and Health Study

  Work-family conflict is a threat to healthy sleep behaviors among employees. This study aimed to examine how Work-to-Family Conflict (demands from work that interfere with one's family/personal life; WTFC) ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Work-Family Conflict and Employee Sleep: Evidence from IT Workers in the Work, Family and Health Study Author: Buxton, Orfeu M., Lee, Soomi, Beverly, Chloe, Berkman, Lisa Year: 2016 Work-family conflict is a threat to healthy sleep behaviors among employees. This study aimed to examine how Work-to-Family Conflict (demands from work that interfere with one's family/personal life; WTFC) and Family-to-Work Conflict (demands from family/personal life that interfere with work; FTWC) are associated with several dimensions of sleep among information technology workers. Employees at a U.S. IT firm (n = 799) provided self-reports of sleep sufficiency (feeling rested upon waking), sleep quality, and sleep maintenance insomnia symptoms (waking up in the middle of the night or early morning) in the last month. They also provided a week of actigraphy for nighttime sleep duration, napping, sleep timing, and a novel sleep inconsistency measure. Analyses adjusted for work conditions (job demands, decision authority, schedule control, and family-supportive supervisor behavior), and household and sociodemographic characteristics. Employees who experienced higher WTFC reported less sleep sufficiency, poorer sleep quality, and more insomnia symptoms. Higher WTFC also predicted shorter nighttime sleep duration, greater likelihood of napping, and longer nap duration. Furthermore, higher WTFC was linked to greater inconsistency of nighttime sleep duration and sleep clock times, whereas higher FTWC was associated with more rigidity of sleep timing mostly driven by wake time. Results highlight the unique associations of WTFC/FTWC with employee sleep independent of other work conditions and household and sociodemographic characteristics. Our novel methodological approach demonstrates differential associations of WTFC and FTWC with inconsistency of sleep timing. Given the strong associations between WTFC and poor sleep, future research should focus on reducing WTFC. Title: Work-Family Conflict and Employee Sleep: Evidence from IT Workers in the Work, Family and Health Study Author: Buxton, Orfeu M., Lee, Soomi, Beverly, Chloe, Berkman, Lisa Year: 2016 Work-family conflict is a threat to healthy sleep behaviors among employees. This study aimed to examine how Work-to-Family Conflict (demands from work that interfere with one's family/personal life; WTFC) and Family-to-Work Conflict (demands from family/personal life that interfere with work; FTWC) are associated with several dimensions of sleep among information technology workers. Employees at a U.S. IT firm (n = 799) provided self-reports of sleep sufficiency (feeling rested upon waking), sleep quality, and sleep maintenance insomnia symptoms (waking up in the middle of the night or early morning) in the last month. They also provided a week of actigraphy for nighttime sleep duration, napping, sleep timing, and a novel sleep inconsistency measure. Analyses adjusted for work conditions (job demands, decision authority, schedule control, and family-supportive supervisor behavior), and household and sociodemographic characteristics. Employees who experienced higher WTFC reported less sleep sufficiency, poorer sleep quality, and more insomnia symptoms. Higher WTFC also predicted shorter nighttime sleep duration, greater likelihood of napping, and longer nap duration. Furthermore, higher WTFC was linked to greater inconsistency of nighttime sleep duration and sleep clock times, whereas higher FTWC was associated with more rigidity of sleep timing mostly driven by wake time. Results highlight the unique associations of WTFC/FTWC with employee sleep independent of other work conditions and household and sociodemographic characteristics. Our novel methodological approach demonstrates differential associations of WTFC and FTWC with inconsistency of sleep timing. Given the strong associations between WTFC and poor sleep, future research should focus on reducing WTFC. Close

• 22. [Article] Migrant Remittances, Population Ageing and Intergenerational Family Obligations in Sri Lanka

  As Sri Lanka’s population ages, its migrant women face a difficult choice: should they work abroad to remit money to provision their families, or should they stay at home to look after elderly kin? Although ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Migrant Remittances, Population Ageing and Intergenerational Family Obligations in Sri Lanka Author: Gamburd, Michele Ruth Year: 2015 As Sri Lanka’s population ages, its migrant women face a difficult choice: should they work abroad to remit money to provision their families, or should they stay at home to look after elderly kin? Although numerous studies have explored migration’s effects on children, fewer works focus on issues of elder care. This essay presents contextualizing information on transnational migration from Sri Lanka and the rapid ageing that is transforming the country’s population structure from a pyramid with many youth and few elders into a column. Using qualitative ethnographic data gathered from a labour-sending village in southern Sri Lanka, this anthropological essay considers social priorities around remittances and intergenerational family obligations for care work. Villagers make decisions about allocating able-bodied family members’ labour based on key concepts of filial duty, combined with an analysis of a family’s financial and social resources and the vulnerabilities of its members based on their gender and age. Critiquing assumptions about elders’ lack of economic activity, the essay notes their key role in facilitating labour migration. The data reveal the importance of gender roles, educational achievements, and generational shifts in evaluating emerging practices. In the future, intergenerational family obligations to mutual care will persist despite population aging. But as extended families shrink and care work grows more demanding, choices between elder care and migrant remittances will become more challenging. Title: Migrant Remittances, Population Ageing and Intergenerational Family Obligations in Sri Lanka Author: Gamburd, Michele Ruth Year: 2015 As Sri Lanka’s population ages, its migrant women face a difficult choice: should they work abroad to remit money to provision their families, or should they stay at home to look after elderly kin? Although numerous studies have explored migration’s effects on children, fewer works focus on issues of elder care. This essay presents contextualizing information on transnational migration from Sri Lanka and the rapid ageing that is transforming the country’s population structure from a pyramid with many youth and few elders into a column. Using qualitative ethnographic data gathered from a labour-sending village in southern Sri Lanka, this anthropological essay considers social priorities around remittances and intergenerational family obligations for care work. Villagers make decisions about allocating able-bodied family members’ labour based on key concepts of filial duty, combined with an analysis of a family’s financial and social resources and the vulnerabilities of its members based on their gender and age. Critiquing assumptions about elders’ lack of economic activity, the essay notes their key role in facilitating labour migration. The data reveal the importance of gender roles, educational achievements, and generational shifts in evaluating emerging practices. In the future, intergenerational family obligations to mutual care will persist despite population aging. But as extended families shrink and care work grows more demanding, choices between elder care and migrant remittances will become more challenging. Close

• 23. [Article] Children of Alcoholics: How Patterns and Perceptions of the Past Affect the Future

  Parental alcoholism and its effects on children has been a problem widely researched for years. This thesis seeks to find the patterns and roles that are established for children living with parental alcoholism ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Children of Alcoholics: How Patterns and Perceptions of the Past Affect the Future Author: Cochran, Lindsey Anne Year: 2014 Parental alcoholism and its effects on children has been a problem widely researched for years. This thesis seeks to find the patterns and roles that are established for children living with parental alcoholism and if/why these patterns are maintained into the individual's adulthood. In doing so, parental alcoholism and its effects on children and adult children will be examined through the lenses of symbolic interactionism and family systems theory. Several concepts that affect roles and patterns are discussed, some of the more prominent being: a) symbols, b) circular causality c) feedback loops, and d) roles. Through an in depth theoretical analysis, the implications that these findings have on families and those working with families in a professional setting are discussed. Title: Children of Alcoholics: How Patterns and Perceptions of the Past Affect the Future Author: Cochran, Lindsey Anne Year: 2014 Parental alcoholism and its effects on children has been a problem widely researched for years. This thesis seeks to find the patterns and roles that are established for children living with parental alcoholism and if/why these patterns are maintained into the individual's adulthood. In doing so, parental alcoholism and its effects on children and adult children will be examined through the lenses of symbolic interactionism and family systems theory. Several concepts that affect roles and patterns are discussed, some of the more prominent being: a) symbols, b) circular causality c) feedback loops, and d) roles. Through an in depth theoretical analysis, the implications that these findings have on families and those working with families in a professional setting are discussed. Close

• 24. [Article] The Influence of Family-Supportive Supervisor Training on Employee Job Performance and Attitudes: An Organizational Work-Family Intervention

  Training supervisors to increase their family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB) has demonstrated significant benefits for employee physical health, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions among ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Influence of Family-Supportive Supervisor Training on Employee Job Performance and Attitudes: An Organizational Work-Family Intervention Author: Odle-Dusseau, Heather N., Hammer, Leslie B., Crain, Tori L., Bodner, Todd E. Year: 2016 Training supervisors to increase their family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB) has demonstrated significant benefits for employee physical health, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions among employees with high levels of family-to-work conflict in prior research in a grocery store context. We replicate and extend these results in a health care setting with additional important employee outcomes (i.e., employee engagement, organizational commitment, and supervisor ratings of job performance), and consider the role of the 4 dimensions underlying the FSSB. Using a quasi-experimental, pretest–posttest design, 143 health care employees completed surveys at 2 time periods approximately 10 months apart, along with their supervisors who provided ratings of employees’ job performance. Between these surveys, we offered their supervisors FSSB training; 86 (71%) of these supervisors participated. Results demonstrated significant and beneficial indirect effects of FSSB training on changes in employee job performance, organizational commitment, engagement, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions through changes in employee perceptions of their supervisor’s overall FSSBs. Further analyses suggest that these indirect effects are due primarily to changes in the creative work–family management dimension of FSSB. Title: The Influence of Family-Supportive Supervisor Training on Employee Job Performance and Attitudes: An Organizational Work-Family Intervention Author: Odle-Dusseau, Heather N., Hammer, Leslie B., Crain, Tori L., Bodner, Todd E. Year: 2016 Training supervisors to increase their family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB) has demonstrated significant benefits for employee physical health, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions among employees with high levels of family-to-work conflict in prior research in a grocery store context. We replicate and extend these results in a health care setting with additional important employee outcomes (i.e., employee engagement, organizational commitment, and supervisor ratings of job performance), and consider the role of the 4 dimensions underlying the FSSB. Using a quasi-experimental, pretest–posttest design, 143 health care employees completed surveys at 2 time periods approximately 10 months apart, along with their supervisors who provided ratings of employees’ job performance. Between these surveys, we offered their supervisors FSSB training; 86 (71%) of these supervisors participated. Results demonstrated significant and beneficial indirect effects of FSSB training on changes in employee job performance, organizational commitment, engagement, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions through changes in employee perceptions of their supervisor’s overall FSSBs. Further analyses suggest that these indirect effects are due primarily to changes in the creative work–family management dimension of FSSB. Close

• 25. [Article] Using Administrative Data to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Healthy Families Oregon Home Visiting Program: 2-year Impacts on Child Maltreatment & Service Utilization

  The present study used state administrative databases to examine the 2-year outcomes of a large-scale randomized study of the impact of the Healthy Families Oregon (HFO) home visiting program. 2727 eligible ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Using Administrative Data to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Healthy Families Oregon Home Visiting Program: 2-year Impacts on Child Maltreatment & Service Utilization Author: Green, Beth L., Sanders, Mary Beth, Tarte, Jerod Year: 2017 The present study used state administrative databases to examine the 2-year outcomes of a large-scale randomized study of the impact of the Healthy Families Oregon (HFO) home visiting program. 2727 eligible first-time mothers were randomly assigned to either the HFO program or to a community services-as-usual control group. Outcomes for the current study were tracked for 2 years post-random assignment for all study participants through administrative data linkages to Oregon's statewide child welfare system, self-sufficiency services, and substance abuse treatment programs. Results indicated that families assigned to HFO program were no more or less likely to have a substantiated child abuse report than were controls (6.3% vs. 6.0%), but were significantly more likely to have an unsubstantiated report (9.7% vs. 7.9%). Among HFO families who were reported to the child welfare system, 86.2% (94 children) were reported after they had exited the program, while 13.8% (15 children) had a report while enrolled. However, 50.5% of children with unsubstantiated reports were reported while families were receiving HFO services, suggesting a surveillance effect for unsubstantiated reports. HFO families, compared to controls, were also significantly more likely to have been enrolled in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) services for the first time, to have received more days of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and to be enrolled in publically-funded substance abuse treatment services. Results suggest that early effects of home visitation on outcomes that can be measured through administrative data are small to modest, and that findings related to documented child welfare systems involvement may require more nuanced data than are typically used and/or available from state agency systems. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd Title: Using Administrative Data to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Healthy Families Oregon Home Visiting Program: 2-year Impacts on Child Maltreatment & Service Utilization Author: Green, Beth L., Sanders, Mary Beth, Tarte, Jerod Year: 2017 The present study used state administrative databases to examine the 2-year outcomes of a large-scale randomized study of the impact of the Healthy Families Oregon (HFO) home visiting program. 2727 eligible first-time mothers were randomly assigned to either the HFO program or to a community services-as-usual control group. Outcomes for the current study were tracked for 2 years post-random assignment for all study participants through administrative data linkages to Oregon's statewide child welfare system, self-sufficiency services, and substance abuse treatment programs. Results indicated that families assigned to HFO program were no more or less likely to have a substantiated child abuse report than were controls (6.3% vs. 6.0%), but were significantly more likely to have an unsubstantiated report (9.7% vs. 7.9%). Among HFO families who were reported to the child welfare system, 86.2% (94 children) were reported after they had exited the program, while 13.8% (15 children) had a report while enrolled. However, 50.5% of children with unsubstantiated reports were reported while families were receiving HFO services, suggesting a surveillance effect for unsubstantiated reports. HFO families, compared to controls, were also significantly more likely to have been enrolled in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) services for the first time, to have received more days of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and to be enrolled in publically-funded substance abuse treatment services. Results suggest that early effects of home visitation on outcomes that can be measured through administrative data are small to modest, and that findings related to documented child welfare systems involvement may require more nuanced data than are typically used and/or available from state agency systems. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd Close

• 26. [Article] Testing the Effectiveness of Healthy Start-Healthy Families Oregon: Outcomes and Cost-Benefits

  Objectives. This study was designed to achieve several specific objectives: (1) to conduct a large-scale randomized study of the impact of the Healthy Families Oregon (HFO) program, a home visitation program ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Testing the Effectiveness of Healthy Start-Healthy Families Oregon: Outcomes and Cost-Benefits Author: Green, Beth L., Tarte, Jerod, Sanders, Mary Beth, Waller, Mark S. Year: 2016 Objectives. This study was designed to achieve several specific objectives: (1) to conduct a large-scale randomized study of the impact of the Healthy Families Oregon (HFO) program, a home visitation program using the Healthy Families America model, on child welfare system involvement, access to self-sufficiency resources, and use of preventive and other medical services; (2) to conduct a comprehensive and detailed cost-benefit study of the HFO program; and (3) to develop and disseminate a web-based tool to support home visiting program managers, funders, and others to better understand and develop readiness for conducting program cost analysis and cost-benefit research. Approach. 2,727 eligible first-time parents were randomly assigned to receive the HFO program or a community services-as-usual control group. The research team obtained 2 years of postenrollment follow-up data on all study participants from Oregon’s child welfare system, selfsufficiency services, and medical assistance programs. Additionally, a 1-year post-enrollment telephone interview was conducted with a random sample of 803 study participants (403 program, 400 control). Analyses were also conducted to examine whether program impacts varied for subgroups of families with different demographic and baseline risk characteristics, and to explore the relationship of program fidelity and dosage to outcomes. Finally, a detailed program cost analysis was conducted and administrative data outcomes were used in a cost-benefit analysis. Results/Benefits. 1-year follow-up interviews with parents found that HFO families were significantly more likely (compared to controls) to read to their young children frequently, to provide developmentally supportive activities, and to report lower parenting-related stress as measured by the Parent Stress Inventory (PSI). These effects appeared to be strongest for families with four or more risk factors (two factors more than the threshold for “at risk”). Administrative data outcomes at 2 years post enrollment found that families were no more likely to have a founded child abuse report than were controls (6.3% vs. 6.0%), but were significantly more likely to have an unfounded report (9.7% vs. 7.9%). HFO families, compared to controls, were also significantly more likely to have been enrolled in TANF services for the first time, received more days of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and were more likely to be enrolled in substance abuse treatment services. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of use of or access to publicly funded health insurance or health-related services. Consistent with other cost-benefit analyses of home visiting and early childhood programs, results of the cost-benefit analyses did not support short-term cost savings associated with receipt of the HFO program. A web-based tool, The Home Visiting Cost Tool, was posted to the following web address: www.homevisitcosts.com. Title: Testing the Effectiveness of Healthy Start-Healthy Families Oregon: Outcomes and Cost-Benefits Author: Green, Beth L., Tarte, Jerod, Sanders, Mary Beth, Waller, Mark S. Year: 2016 Objectives. This study was designed to achieve several specific objectives: (1) to conduct a large-scale randomized study of the impact of the Healthy Families Oregon (HFO) program, a home visitation program using the Healthy Families America model, on child welfare system involvement, access to self-sufficiency resources, and use of preventive and other medical services; (2) to conduct a comprehensive and detailed cost-benefit study of the HFO program; and (3) to develop and disseminate a web-based tool to support home visiting program managers, funders, and others to better understand and develop readiness for conducting program cost analysis and cost-benefit research. Approach. 2,727 eligible first-time parents were randomly assigned to receive the HFO program or a community services-as-usual control group. The research team obtained 2 years of postenrollment follow-up data on all study participants from Oregon’s child welfare system, selfsufficiency services, and medical assistance programs. Additionally, a 1-year post-enrollment telephone interview was conducted with a random sample of 803 study participants (403 program, 400 control). Analyses were also conducted to examine whether program impacts varied for subgroups of families with different demographic and baseline risk characteristics, and to explore the relationship of program fidelity and dosage to outcomes. Finally, a detailed program cost analysis was conducted and administrative data outcomes were used in a cost-benefit analysis. Results/Benefits. 1-year follow-up interviews with parents found that HFO families were significantly more likely (compared to controls) to read to their young children frequently, to provide developmentally supportive activities, and to report lower parenting-related stress as measured by the Parent Stress Inventory (PSI). These effects appeared to be strongest for families with four or more risk factors (two factors more than the threshold for “at risk”). Administrative data outcomes at 2 years post enrollment found that families were no more likely to have a founded child abuse report than were controls (6.3% vs. 6.0%), but were significantly more likely to have an unfounded report (9.7% vs. 7.9%). HFO families, compared to controls, were also significantly more likely to have been enrolled in TANF services for the first time, received more days of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and were more likely to be enrolled in substance abuse treatment services. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of use of or access to publicly funded health insurance or health-related services. Consistent with other cost-benefit analyses of home visiting and early childhood programs, results of the cost-benefit analyses did not support short-term cost savings associated with receipt of the HFO program. A web-based tool, The Home Visiting Cost Tool, was posted to the following web address: www.homevisitcosts.com. Close

• 27. [Article] Fathers Caring for Children with Special Health Care Needs: Experiences of Work-Life Fit

  Research about employed fathers of children with special health care needs (SHCN) is still limited, leaving fathers without the necessary workplace and community supports to better integrate work and life. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fathers Caring for Children with Special Health Care Needs: Experiences of Work-Life Fit Author: Sellmaier, Claudia Year: 2015 Research about employed fathers of children with special health care needs (SHCN) is still limited, leaving fathers without the necessary workplace and community supports to better integrate work and life. Caregivers with exceptional caregiving responsibilities report greater levels of work-family conflict and considerable caregiver strain, as well as negative employment and financial consequences related to their caregiving responsibilities. These caregivers often struggle to access community supports such as childcare, after-school care, and support from friends and neighbors. This study provides insights into the types of job, home, and community resources that are relevant for fathers of children with SHCN in order to better integrate work and family. The exploratory cross-sectional design employed an online survey to collect the data, with 122 fathers meeting the study criteria of living at least part-time with a child with SHCN under the age of 18 and being employed at least part-time. The fathers had a mean age of 42 and most of them identified as Non-Hispanic White. The majority stated holding a college degree and over 90% reported being married or partnered. Fathers indicated having on average two children and Autism Spectrum Disorder was the most cited diagnosis for the child with SHCN. Regression analyses were conducted to analyze the study's research questions. Access and use of workplace flexibility were significant job resource measures predicting difficulty combining work and family, and spillover. Family flexibility to handle work issues was a significant predictor across all dimensions of positive and negative spillover. The availability of community services was found significantly related to negative family to work spillover and support from friends/neighbors was a significant predictor for both difficulty combining work and family, and spillover. Regression analyses with interaction terms of job and home resources showed buffering effects of resource ecologies on spillover. The study's findings illustrate that, fathers of children with SHCN struggle to integrate work and family even if they are not considered primary caregivers. Community, home, and job resources were salient for these fathers to mitigate a lack of resources across ecologies. This lack of resources tended to reinforce traditional gender norms for both mother and father. Resources within and across the three different ecologies were found to have direct and compensatory effects. Community resources were identified as the most important resources for both positive and negative spillover. The study also highlights the positive spillover effects related to employment and family care for fathers of children with SHCN. Organizations are called to reduce flexibility stigma and decrease barriers to using workplace flexibility to improve work-life fit for fathers caring for children with SHCN. Social services like childcare, or after school care, and social support are of critical relevance and need to better support these fathers and families. Considerations for future research are presented. Title: Fathers Caring for Children with Special Health Care Needs: Experiences of Work-Life Fit Author: Sellmaier, Claudia Year: 2015 Research about employed fathers of children with special health care needs (SHCN) is still limited, leaving fathers without the necessary workplace and community supports to better integrate work and life. Caregivers with exceptional caregiving responsibilities report greater levels of work-family conflict and considerable caregiver strain, as well as negative employment and financial consequences related to their caregiving responsibilities. These caregivers often struggle to access community supports such as childcare, after-school care, and support from friends and neighbors. This study provides insights into the types of job, home, and community resources that are relevant for fathers of children with SHCN in order to better integrate work and family. The exploratory cross-sectional design employed an online survey to collect the data, with 122 fathers meeting the study criteria of living at least part-time with a child with SHCN under the age of 18 and being employed at least part-time. The fathers had a mean age of 42 and most of them identified as Non-Hispanic White. The majority stated holding a college degree and over 90% reported being married or partnered. Fathers indicated having on average two children and Autism Spectrum Disorder was the most cited diagnosis for the child with SHCN. Regression analyses were conducted to analyze the study's research questions. Access and use of workplace flexibility were significant job resource measures predicting difficulty combining work and family, and spillover. Family flexibility to handle work issues was a significant predictor across all dimensions of positive and negative spillover. The availability of community services was found significantly related to negative family to work spillover and support from friends/neighbors was a significant predictor for both difficulty combining work and family, and spillover. Regression analyses with interaction terms of job and home resources showed buffering effects of resource ecologies on spillover. The study's findings illustrate that, fathers of children with SHCN struggle to integrate work and family even if they are not considered primary caregivers. Community, home, and job resources were salient for these fathers to mitigate a lack of resources across ecologies. This lack of resources tended to reinforce traditional gender norms for both mother and father. Resources within and across the three different ecologies were found to have direct and compensatory effects. Community resources were identified as the most important resources for both positive and negative spillover. The study also highlights the positive spillover effects related to employment and family care for fathers of children with SHCN. Organizations are called to reduce flexibility stigma and decrease barriers to using workplace flexibility to improve work-life fit for fathers caring for children with SHCN. Social services like childcare, or after school care, and social support are of critical relevance and need to better support these fathers and families. Considerations for future research are presented. Close

• 28. [Article] Network Indicators of the Social Ecology of Adolescents in Relative and Non-Relative Foster Households

  Though the presence, composition, and quality of social relationships—particularly as found in family networks—has an important influence on adolescent well-being, little is known about the social ecology ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Network Indicators of the Social Ecology of Adolescents in Relative and Non-Relative Foster Households Author: Blakeslee, Jennifer E., Kothari, Brianne H., McBeath, Bowen, Sorenson, Paul, Bank, Lew Year: 2017 Though the presence, composition, and quality of social relationships—particularly as found in family networks—has an important influence on adolescent well-being, little is known about the social ecology of youth in foster care. This study examined the social networks of foster youth participating in a large RCT of an intervention for siblings in foster care. Youth reported on the people they lived with and the relatives they were in contact with, which provided indicators of network size, composition, and relationship quality. Cluster analysis was used to identify five family network profiles for youth living in foster homes. Two identified subgroups reflected robust family networks where youth were living with relative caregiver(s) and related youth, and also reported multiple family ties outside the household, including with biological parents. The remaining three profiles reflected youth reports of fewer family connections within or beyond the foster household, with distinctions by whether they lived with siblings and/or reported having positive relationships with their mothers and/or fathers. The identified network profiles were validated using youth- and caregiver-reported measures of mental health functioning, with increased caregiver report of post-traumatic stress symptoms indicated for the three subgroups that were not characterized by a robust family network. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd Title: Network Indicators of the Social Ecology of Adolescents in Relative and Non-Relative Foster Households Author: Blakeslee, Jennifer E., Kothari, Brianne H., McBeath, Bowen, Sorenson, Paul, Bank, Lew Year: 2017 Though the presence, composition, and quality of social relationships—particularly as found in family networks—has an important influence on adolescent well-being, little is known about the social ecology of youth in foster care. This study examined the social networks of foster youth participating in a large RCT of an intervention for siblings in foster care. Youth reported on the people they lived with and the relatives they were in contact with, which provided indicators of network size, composition, and relationship quality. Cluster analysis was used to identify five family network profiles for youth living in foster homes. Two identified subgroups reflected robust family networks where youth were living with relative caregiver(s) and related youth, and also reported multiple family ties outside the household, including with biological parents. The remaining three profiles reflected youth reports of fewer family connections within or beyond the foster household, with distinctions by whether they lived with siblings and/or reported having positive relationships with their mothers and/or fathers. The identified network profiles were validated using youth- and caregiver-reported measures of mental health functioning, with increased caregiver report of post-traumatic stress symptoms indicated for the three subgroups that were not characterized by a robust family network. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd Close

• 29. [Article] The Let Going: Death, Buddhism and Connection

  After turning forty and the unexpected death of her father, the narrator seeks to make sense of the story of her father's life and her own. Reflections on Buddhism, death, family history and community ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Let Going: Death, Buddhism and Connection Author: Miller, Laura Anne Year: 2014 After turning forty and the unexpected death of her father, the narrator seeks to make sense of the story of her father's life and her own. Reflections on Buddhism, death, family history and community flow through the narrator's journey from the backcountry of the Colorado Rocky Mountains to the rolling farmland of the Midwest, from a retreat center in Oregon to the ancient geography of Wisconsin's Driftless Area. With clues gathered from her family home in Waterloo, Iowa, the narrator returns to her current home in Portland, where she comes to understand for herself the significance of the phrase "the let going." Title: The Let Going: Death, Buddhism and Connection Author: Miller, Laura Anne Year: 2014 After turning forty and the unexpected death of her father, the narrator seeks to make sense of the story of her father's life and her own. Reflections on Buddhism, death, family history and community flow through the narrator's journey from the backcountry of the Colorado Rocky Mountains to the rolling farmland of the Midwest, from a retreat center in Oregon to the ancient geography of Wisconsin's Driftless Area. With clues gathered from her family home in Waterloo, Iowa, the narrator returns to her current home in Portland, where she comes to understand for herself the significance of the phrase "the let going." Close

• 30. [Article] Underutilization of Federal Benefits in Oregon: Programs and Strategies

  The report results demonstrate the dependence low-income Oregon families have on the six federal programs and the challenges families face when attempting to access federal resources. The barriers to access ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Underutilization of Federal Benefits in Oregon: Programs and Strategies Author: Mendez, Raúl Preciado Year: 2017 The report results demonstrate the dependence low-income Oregon families have on the six federal programs and the challenges families face when attempting to access federal resources. The barriers to access are often structural in that they are embedded in the procedures and structure of the program. Based on its analysis, the report presents a series of reforms and support activities that Oregon state agencies and nonprofits could adopt to improve family access for each program. Title: Underutilization of Federal Benefits in Oregon: Programs and Strategies Author: Mendez, Raúl Preciado Year: 2017 The report results demonstrate the dependence low-income Oregon families have on the six federal programs and the challenges families face when attempting to access federal resources. The barriers to access are often structural in that they are embedded in the procedures and structure of the program. Based on its analysis, the report presents a series of reforms and support activities that Oregon state agencies and nonprofits could adopt to improve family access for each program. Close