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Our Voices: Young people share how RENEW worked for them.

JoAnne Malloy presented at a legislative briefing for Members of Congress and their staffs for National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week on May 7th. A video of the briefing is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc7dcD0EJ0A&feature=youtu.be; Dr. Malloy's piece begins at 40 minutes.

Overview

RENEW is a structured school-to-career transition planning and individualized wraparound process for youth with emotional and behavioral challenges. Developed in 1996 by staff at the Institute on Disability (IOD), RENEW is being provided by schools, community mental health centers, community-based providers, and IOD staff members to youth. The model focuses on supporting each youth to design and pursue a plan for the transition from school to adult life. RENEW has substantially increased the high school completion, employment, and post-secondary education participation rates among our most vulnerable youth.

Key Features

• Self Determination
• Personal Futures Planning
• Creative and Individualized School-to-Career Planning
• Strengths-based Approach
• Unconditional Care
• Building Family and other Natural and Community Supports
• Wraparound
• Systemic Support and Consultation

Outcomes

• Improved educational outcomes (increased graduation rates, post-secondary education participation)
• Increased employment rates
• Improved functioning in school and in the community
• Reductions in behavior problems in school and in the community (including reduced juvenile justice involvement)
• High youth satisfaction rates
• Increased youth self-determination and self efficacy skills
• Studies from various cohorts (projects) support these outcomes.

Available Services

Staff at the IOD provide training and coaching to individuals and groups in community-based agencies and schools to implement the RENEW model, including a comprehensive facilitator’s manual, a set of tools to use with youth and teams, implementation assessments, and process and outcome data collection instruments. The IOD also works with schools, community based providers, state education and mental health agencies to develop the systems and infrastructure necessary to implement the RENEW model with fidelity. Consultation also includes assistance with how to use Medicaid and schoolbased resources for implementation of RENEW.

Partners

• The Endowment for Health
• New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
• New Hampshire Department of Education’s Division of Career Technology & Adult Learning
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NH
• Granite State Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
• Seven NH Community Mental Health Centers
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