Aspire: Lessons Learned and Next Steps MHEDIC Spring 2015 Aidyn Iachini

Aspire Program Nine week program Focus on motivational interviewing and skill building Implemented by MSW students Developed for use with students repeating the ninth grade

9 th grade students N = 13 Seven males; five females (one student did not report) Age years old 61.5% African American; 15.4% White; 23.1% Mixed races 53.8% receive free or reduced price lunch

Explore the Feasibility and Acceptability of Aspire Feasibility Focus group with MSW interns facilitated by research staff not involved in the project “Tell me about your experiences implementing the Aspire program” **Implementation checklists (data not analyzed yet) Acceptability Focus group with MSW interns; “Tell me about how you feel students responded to the Aspire program.” Post-survey with 9 th grade students; satisfaction items and open ended questions “What did you like about the Aspire Program?” “What would you like to see changed, if anything, about the Aspire Program?”

Feasibility Flexibility for clinical decision-making (staying on a lesson if needed, being able to create worksheets/tools for a student if needed) was helpful “I liked because it gave me an opportunity to use critical thinking and just rely on some of my own skills.” Meeting with the students could be challenging “And it was hard because some- a lot of the kids don't have a study hall or a free period, and because they're repeating 9th grade, almost all of their classes are core classes”

Feasibility Brief, but perhaps not brief enough Four students did not complete the program; three expelled and one dropped out of school Not all of the students were able to complete all nine sessions

Acceptability Satisfied with the Aspire program? 66.7% extremely satisfied 22.2% very satisfied 11.1% somewhat satisfied Was the Aspire program helpful to you? 100% yes (n=9)

Acceptability (student perspective) Like about the program Getting that 1 on 1 time to talk to someone and get help. I enjoyed being able to talk and really get a handle on my school work and personal lifeas well. I liked that you have that someone who cares abut you passing and checking up on meand to see if I am straight. Change about the program I wish you could have the same person for more then one school year. I wouldn’t like for anything to be changed.

Acceptability (MSW intern perspective) “I think they responded to the motivational interviewing really well.” “I mean, I think they felt like they were treated more like adults with the fact that they could take ownership. So, I think that was very good working with high schoolers because they want to be adults, and so that, like, that let them feel like it was their program. That it wasn't just us talking at them. It was like a conversation (and) working along.” “…just us listening and bringing them in there and letting them just be who they are and talking to them. It made them want to come back. So they come looking for you. "Are you gonna meet with me today?”

Lessons Learned & Next Steps MI seems to be a feasible and acceptable approach for working with students repeating the ninth grade Not brief enough? Is it too late? Less focus on specific social-emotional skills

Thank you! Questions? Aidyn Iachini