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Transforming hardships into hope for juvenile justice-involved youth: a promising practice case study

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Transforming hardships into hope for juvenile justice-involved youth: a promising practice case study

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Transforming Hardships into Hope for Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth: A Promising
Practice Case Study

by

Angeliqueca Avery

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2020

Copyright 2020 Angeliqueca Avery

ii
Dedication
This dissertation is dedicated to my parents. They contributed to my learning at an early
age and established the foundation for me to have a solid faith in God and strong work ethic.
Finishing my dissertation is a testament of their unconditional love and support.

iii
Acknowledgements
I am infinitely grateful for all the support that enabled me to complete this dissertation! I
thank my loving, caring family and friends for their support throughout this process. I am the
person I am today because of my parents. I am thankful they taught me how to work hard, strive
for excellence, value learning, and have a strong sense of faith. I thank my husband for his love,
friendship, encouragement, and endless support. You have been such a blessing and I am grateful
for all the years we’ve spent together.
To my dissertation committee chair, Dr. Mora-Flores, and committee members, Dr.
Hasan, Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Smith-Maddox, thank you for the generosity you extended with your
time and professional expertise. Your involvement was extremely meaningful. A special thank
you to Dr. Mora-Flores for your unwavering encouragement, coaching, and leadership as my
committee chair! You were the most enthusiastic and committed chair that I could have ever
imagined. I have such deep gratitude for all that I learned from you and the members of my
extremely talented, accomplished dissertation committee.
I thank all of my colleagues who cheered me on along the way. Thank you Dr. Evans of
Lamar University for taking the time to extend your support and nominate me for the Alan
Dreeben - Grow Your Own Scholarship! I am extremely thankful to you and the Texas State
University System Foundation for taking an interest in my professional development and making
such a generous scholarship available. I thank all of my Lamar University friends and colleagues,
particularly Dr. Nichols, Dr. Wright, Dr. Sullivan, Dr. Gummelt, and Lori Wright, for
encouraging me to pursue a doctorate degree and recommending me for the Grow Your Own
Scholarship. I would have never imagined receiving such an honor without your belief in my
potential. I thank Steve Saur and Dr. Bronson for inviting me to begin my teaching career at

iv
Lamar University in 2011. Without your recognition of my professional qualities and
skills, the opportunities that I have been extended in higher education and now through the
consulting work that I do at Infinite Potential, Consulting, Counseling, Coaching and
Professional Development Services, would not have been possible.
Thank you to the organization that was the subject of my dissertation. Dr. Creswell Báez,
your willingness to lend your expertise in research and evaluation to support me involving the
right stakeholder group for this research was truly invaluable. Out of all the organizations that
were considered for this study, I do not believe any would have provided the rich insights and
contributions that you were instrumental in helping me access in the organization that was
ultimately selected for this study.
There were challenging life events I encountered during this dissertation but with
inspiration from biblical principles, I was able to persevere. Joel Osteen once described how
setbacks can serve as a launching pad. He said, “When you have a bow and arrow, the more you
pull the arrow back, the further it's going to shoot. If you just pull it back a little ways, if there's
no pressure, no tension, it's not going to go very far.” I am thankful that even with the challenges
that occurred, I was reminded of how hope can triumph over hardships. As I was pulled back, I
was placed on a course to launch into a new direction. I appreciate the process of this dissertation
and those who believed in my potential for helping me take my career into a new season of
growth for sharing the knowledge, skills and experiences that I have acquired.

v
Contents
Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………...….ii
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………iii
List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………………….vii
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………….viii
Chapter One: Introduction………………………………………………………………………...1
Background of the Problem……………………………………………………………….3
Importance of a Promising Practice Project………………………………………………4
Organizational Context and Mission…………………………………………………...…6
Organizational Performance Goal……………………………………………………….13
Description of Stakeholder Groups……………………………………………………...15
Stakeholder Group for the Study………………………………………………………...17
Purpose of the Project and Questions……………………………………………………18
Conceptual Methodological Framework………………………………………………...18
Definitions…………………………………………………………………………….....19
Organization of the Study………………………………………………………………..20

Chapter Two: Literature Review
Community-based Interventions for Reducing Juvenile Recidivism……………………22
Early Attachments Shape Behavior……………………………………………………...23
Juvenile Justice Involvement………………………………………………………….....28
Approaches to Positive Youth Development………………………………………….....30
The Clark and Estes Gap Analysis Conceptual Framework……………………………..33
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………….....50
Chapter Three: Methodology
Participating Stakeholders…………………………………………………………….....51
Data Collection and Instrumentation………………………………………………….....55
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………….58
Credibility and Trustworthiness………………………………………………………….59
Ethics……………………………………………………………………………………..63
Limitations and Delimitations……………………………………………………………65
Chapter Four: Results and Findings
Participating Stakeholders……………………………………………………………….68
Results……………………………………………………………………………………70
Knowledge Factors………………………………………………………………………71
Motivational Factors……………………………………………………………………..88
Organizational Factors…………………………………………………………………...99
Synthesis………………………………………………………………………………..112

vi
Chapter Five: Recommendations and Discussion
Discussion………………………………………………………………………………114
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences…………………………..116
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan………………………………………..137
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach……………………………………………155
Future Research………………………………………………………………………...157
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...158

References………………………………………………………………………………………160
Appendix A……………………………………………………………………………………..184
Appendix B……………………………………………………………………………………..188
Appendix C……………………………………………………………………………………..191
Appendix D……………………………………………………………………………………..193
Appendix E……………………………………………………………………………………..194
Appendix F……………………………………………………………………………………...196
Appendix G……………………………………………………………………………………..197
Appendix H……………………………………………………………………………………..198

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES
Table 1. Example of a Common Referral Process……………………………………………….7
Table 2. Knowledge Influences………………………………………………………………….39
Table 3. Motivational Influences………………………………………………………………...45
Table 4. Organizational Influences………………………………………………………………49
Table 5. Years of Service Overview……………………………………………………………..70
Table 6. Comments from Questionnaire Item 4…………………………………………………72
Table 7. Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations………………………….117
Table 8. Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations…………………………..126
Table 9. Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations………………………..131
Table 10. Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes……………..140
Table 11. Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation………………….142
Table 12. Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors……………………………………..144
Table 13. Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program………………………...148
Table 14. Components to Measure Reactions to the Program………………………………….150
Table 15. Level 4 Tracking Table………………………………………………………………153
Figure 1. Questionnaire Respondents……………………………………………………………69
Figure 2. Likert Responses from Questionnaire Item 4………………………………………….84
Figure 3. Likert Responses from Questionnaire Item 17………………………………………...91
Figure 4. Likert Responses from Questionnaire Item 24………………………………………..94
Figure 5. Likert Responses from Questionnaire Item 5………………………………………...103
Chart 1. Level 4 Tracking Chart………………………………………………………………..154

viii
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify knowledge, motivational and organizational
influences that supported the promising practices of an organization that has reduced recidivism
rates of youth whose lives have intersected with the juvenile justice system. Through a
qualitative case study design, the researcher gathered data from publicly available documents as
well as from representatives of a service-delivery team in a non-profit organization who shared
their perspectives through a questionnaire and a focus group. Findings from this study provided
insight into how an organization’s service-delivery team operationalized trauma-informed,
strength-based practices to shift the trajectory of juvenile justice-involved youth from one of
continued hardships to hope. Further research is recommended for use of a gap analysis
framework to identify knowledge, motivational and organizational factors that can be considered
in improving juvenile recidivism. Other topics recommended for further research in the context
of the juvenile justice system are implementation of trauma-informed operating principles, such
as Trust-based Relational Intervention, and wellness strategies that best support workforce
sustainability.

Keywords: trauma-informed, Strength-based, juvenile justice, service-delivery, recidivism

1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
In the United States, over two-million youth are arrested by law enforcement officials
each year (Ramchand, Morral, & Becker, 2009). The “school-to-prison pipeline” is a term that
has been used by researchers to refer to how “zero tolerance” or punitive school disciplinary
policies result in children’s lives intersecting with law enforcement due to misconduct at school
– which may result in juvenile detention and further involvement in the juvenile justice system
(Mallett, 2016). As suggested by Haft (2000), the implications of punitive responses to juvenile
offenses are often problematic because they result in social isolation, negative labels, resentment
and interfere with academic progress. These punitive responses do not address underlying issues
that contribute to the vast number of psychosocial factors that influence the body, brain, and
beliefs of youth who struggle with following social norms.
Research has shown that childhood adversity and toxic stress, often of an interpersonal
nature, interferes with healthy childhood development and results in complex developmental
trauma (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2016; Rosenberg, et al, 2014). This type of
trauma is common among youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system, where youth
disproportionately report higher rates of traumatic experiences with 70% to 90% encountering at
least one traumatic event (Abram, et al, 2013; Dierkhising, et al, 2013; Espinosa & Sorensen,
2016). Early exposure to trauma not only impacts development but without intervention has life-
long well-being consequences that often create barriers to managing psychosocial stressors,
impair coping skills, and diminish chances of feeling comfortable with a healthy sense of
connections to others (Purvis, et al, 2013). Rather than being able to self-regulate and learn from
experiences, youth who have been exposed to childhood trauma often operate in fear-based

2
behaviors that increases hypervigilance and results in a survival code of behavior (Purvis, et al,
2013; National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2016).
The younger children are when they enter the juvenile justice system, the more likely
they are to become chronic offenders whose lives eventually intersect with the adult criminal
justice system (Snyder, Espiritu, Huizinga, Loeber, & Petechuk, 2003; Thornberry, Huizinga, &
Loeber, 2004; Trulson, Marquart, Mullings, & Caeti, 2005). In juvenile justice literature there
are various definitions for recidivism but what’s most common is the repetitive or chronic nature
of criminal behavior, as evidenced by new arrests or new adjudications after an initial offense.
When youth are detained, they are more likely to have exposure to youth who have committed
more serious offenses, are at-risk for becoming further involved in misconduct while detained,
and once released from incarceration are more likely to commit another offense (Pardini, 2016).
Researchers have found that reoffending patterns can be interrupted through community-
based alternatives to incarceration, which show promise for positively changing attitudes,
behaviors, and family dynamics of juveniles in ways that are less costly and more effective than
institutional settings (Hess, Arner, Sykes, Price, Village, Tanana & Center, 2012). In fact, in a
national cost analysis on the long-term consequences of juvenile incarceration, it was estimated
that the annual cost to taxpayers in the United States is from $8 to $21 billion. These costs
include residual effects of repeat offending, such as less opportunity for academic achievement
and difficulty securing future employment – which directly impact future earnings and ability to
contribute to tax revenues (Justice Policy Institute, 2014).
This study highlights how a community-based intervention for juvenile justice-involved
youth can increase their access to more therapeutic and rehabilitative interventions that prepare
them to become better citizens and encourage their exit from the juvenile justice system.

3
Effective community-based interventions warrant investigation because they show promise for
saving taxpayer dollars, preventing new juvenile offenses and creating productive outcomes that
support positive youth development.
Background of the Problem
When analyzing the problem of juvenile delinquency in the United States, Snyder and
Sickmund (2006) found that in 2002 approximately 1.6 million cases were processed through
juvenile courts. As a vulnerable population, youth who become involved in the juvenile justice
system are not psychologically mature and have often experienced difficulties in their physical
and social environments that impair their decisions-making, coping skills and lifestyle choices
(Lambie & Randell, 2013; Ou & Reynolds, 2010). This population of youth also tend to lack a
stable home environment, typically do not have healthy family dynamics, are mostly
economically disadvantaged, and experience other difficulties in life (Huizinga, Loeber,
Thornberry, & Cothern, 2000; Ou & Reynolds, 2010). Increasingly, juvenile justice decision-
makers are responding to juvenile crime and delinquency by detaining youth in institutional
settings (Blitzman, 2015; Nelson, 2010).
It is well-documented that local detention centers frequently serve as a temporary
intervention to address juvenile crime and delinquency. However, evidence is lacking about the
positive influence that juvenile detention centers have on helping youth become more attached to
healthy relationships, school, community service, job training and other resources once they are
released. More specifically, although juvenile justice workers may recognize the value of youth
receiving developmentally appropriate services that provide “positive, community engaged
learning, service, or leadership opportunities” they may not routinely provide or refer youth to
receive such services (Barton, 2006). There is growing recognition that community-based,

4
trauma-informed responses to juvenile crime and delinquency have proven to be more effective
and less costly (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2016). . However, community-based
interventions that can address juvenile crime and delinquency are lacking or underutilized in
many juvenile justice jurisdictions (Annie Casey Foundation, 2008).
Importance of a Promising Practice Project

Now in its 32
nd
year of working to change the trajectory of juvenile justice-involved
youth toward brighter futures, Hardships to Hope (which is a pseudonym used to reference the
organization discussed in this study) has established a promising practice of implementing
therapeutic approaches that promote positive youth development and provide a viable
community-based intervention to help youth successfully exit the juvenile justice system.
Founded by a person of color with less than 10 employees, Hardships to Hope (HH) has grown
over three decades and now employs thousands of individuals across the United States. As a
national leader of creating paths of hope and opportunity, the organization has been recognized
for achieving Council on Accreditation (COA) standards and maintaining it since 2008. This
accreditation standard provides credibility to the organization and verifies its implementation of
services that are well-coordinated, culturally competent, evidence-based, outcomes-oriented, and
provided by a skilled and supported workforce.
In the area of juvenile justice, HH is supported by contracts from state agencies, local
juvenile probation departments, grant funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and other stakeholders who recognize the organization as a
leading provider of therapeutic interventions that help deter youth from juvenile justice
involvement and guide others to successfully complete their terms of juvenile probation without
high recidivism rates. For example, in a study conducted by the University of Texas at Austin,

5
95% of the youth served through a status offender diversion program did not commit a new
offense. In another cohort of youth, where youth were on probation and expelled from a
traditional school environment, 92% of them did not commit a new offense while nearly 80% of
them improved math and reading scores during their participation in the program. Additionally,
the organization is a recipient of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s national Gloria J. Jenkins
Award for Outstanding Contributions to Juvenile Detention Reform by a Community
Organization.
Examining promising practices in the context of juvenile delinquency and crime is
important for a variety of reasons. Juvenile justice involvement is a life event that is often
predicated by stressors in a young person’s physical and social environment (National Child
Traumatic Stress Network, 2016; Ou & Reynolds, 2010). As a result, youth who become
involved in the juvenile justice system often do not have strong attachment to prosocial
experiences that encourage healthy, productive lifestyle choices (Haft, 2000; National Child
Traumatic Stress Network, 2016; Ou & Reynolds, 2010). Consequently, they are less likely to
graduate high school and more likely to enter the adult prison system (Aizer & Doyle, 2013;
Holman & Ziedenberg, 2006) - which prevents them from obtaining gainful employment and
contributing to their community as active, taxpaying citizens. Criminal justice professionals
estimate that society is saved $2.6 to $5.3 million each time that a high-risk teenager is saved
from a life of crime (Cohen & Piquero, 2009).
Studying promising practices can help identify interventions that counter the negative
social and economic implications of criminal justice involvement. With adequate access to
community-based resources and support that promote positive youth development, juvenile
justice-involved youth can improve social and emotional competencies that prevent them from

6
further penetration into the criminal justice system (Kelly, 2014; Mendel, 2014). As a promising
practice, HH has had a profoundly positive impact on the overall quality of life and well-being of
juvenile justice-involved youth whose life trajectory into the adult criminal justice system can be
altered as a result of the organization’s therapeutic, trauma-informed, community-based
intervention. Analyzing the specific therapeutic approaches used by HH to help youth become
more attached to pro-social experiences, healthy relationships and the community while on
juvenile probation or at-risk for delinquency is worth investigating because the organization’s
model might inform policies concerning the human and social capital needed to expand access to
community-based resources and support for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. On a
local level, a promising practice study may also help juvenile justice officials communicate
positive externalities to current and potential funders who have an interest in investing both in-
kind and monetary resources that support youth in acquiring social competencies that improve
citizenship qualities.
Organizational Context and Mission
The organizational context for this study is a community-based non-profit organization
with sites located across multiple states in the United States. For the purpose of this study, the
focus was on sites of HH that operate in partnership with local juvenile probation departments
and other entities to provide services to juvenile justice-involved youth, those who present
delinquency risk factors, and their families. As illustrated in Table ___, school, home, and
community are the three common settings where the referral process into the juvenile justice
system begins. Delinquent Conduct (violation of a criminal law) and Child in Need of
Supervision (i.e., runaway, prostitution, or other fine only offenses) are two types of presenting
issues that can usually result in contact with law enforcement and subsequent processing into the

7
juvenile justice system. The potential referral point, where juvenile probation may refer youth to
to HH’s trauma-informed, strength-based program, can be grouped into the following categories:
Diversion Program; Pre-adjudication/Released to Community (pending court); Pre-adjudication
Detention (pending court); and Adjudication with Juvenile Probation Terms and Conditions.
Although Table __ provides one example of what a referral process might involve for a youth
referred to HH, the referral process may vary based on statutes that govern local jurisdictions of
juvenile probation departments.
Table 1. Example of a Common Referral Process
Common Settings
Where Referral
Process Begins:

School

Home

Community

Presenting
Issue(s)
• Delinquent Conduct
(violation of a criminal
law)
• Truancy

• Delinquent Conduct
(violation of a criminal
law)
•
Child in Need of
Supervision (i.e.,
runaway, prostitution,
or other fine only
offenses)
• Delinquent
Conduct (violation
of a criminal law)
•
Child in Need of
Supervision (i.e.,
runaway,
prostitution, or
other fine only
offenses)

Outcome/
Potential
Juvenile Justice
Entry
Point

Alternative to Law
Enforcement (i.e.,
school expulsion,
alternative education
program)

OR

Law Enforcement
Contact at School

Law Enforcement
Contact at Home

Law Enforcement
Contact at a
Community
Location (other
than home or
school)

8

Referral to
Juvenile
Probation
Department
Juvenile Intake Processing

Potential Referral
Point to HH’s
Trauma-Informed,
Strength-based
Program

Types of Referrals Received from Juvenile Probation Department:

➢ Diversion Program

➢ Pre-adjudication/Released to Community (pending court)

➢ Pre-adjudication Detention (pending court)

➢ Adjudication with Juvenile Probation Terms and Conditions

The organization’s therapeutic use of trauma-informed, strength-based approaches,
collaborations, and community assets to promote positive youth development is a research-
informed juvenile justice intervention.
With an annual organizational budget of over $300 million, 98.9% of the organization’s
budget is funded by grants and contracts. Resources are dedicated to providing viable, cost-
effective, research-based alternatives to youth incarceration for over 6,000 youth and over 6,000
members of their families annually. Additionally, services (including family counseling,
educational and vocational support, assistance with locating childcare, and re-entry assistance for
parents who have been incarcerated) are provided to help their families become stronger and
more economically self-sufficient. Regional executive directors supervise the organization’s
program directors within regions across seven different states where juvenile justice delinquency
and prevention interventions are implemented. Employees who work directly with youth include
clinicians, case managers, parent liaisons, family specialists, community monitors (conduct daily

9
client contacts at various locations), Functional Family Therapists (FFT), case workers, youth
trackers (provide daily behavior coaching and support), mentor recruit and retention workers,
teachers, teaching assistants, and drivers. The activities completed with youth by each employee
are intended to help meet the conditions of each youth’s service plan and promote healthier
lifestyle choices.
With the implementation of strength-based approaches with a trauma-informed lens and
positive youth development strategies, HH empowers healthy, productive lifestyles for youth and
their families through a variety of programs and services. The following types of services are
offered: case management, individual and group counseling, academic support, after-school and
summer programming, community service opportunities, vocational training, mentoring, pro-
social activities and enrichment experiences, transportation, assistance with basic necessities
(i.e., food, clothing, toiletries), parenting education/support, adult education classes, wellness
classes, cultural arts, service coordination between courts, attorneys and probation officers, and
other personal development activities.
Parenting classes offered by HH provide parenting education and support that may be
helpful in encouraging and motivating their children to distance themselves from risky activities
that are likely to produce unproductive outcomes. The primary role of HH’s service-delivery
team is to utilize strength-based approaches with a trauma-informed lens, cross-system
collaborations and community assets to promote positive youth development and support youth
by preventing them from beginning or becoming further involved with the juvenile justice
system without committing a new offense.

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Organizational Performance Status
Organizational performance of HH is monitored internally and the organization has a
variety of ways that it disseminates outcome data to stakeholders. Monthly and quarterly reports
are provided to juvenile probation as well as to funders. Each year HH also produces an annual
report and makes information available on its website that highlights the organization’s work as
having a positive impact in the lives of youth, as measured by youth contributions to the
community through service projects, improved attendance at prosocial events, increased
exposure to job training and employment opportunities, and increased parent or caregiver
involvement. While both local juvenile probation departments and HH have worked together to
publish anecdotal information about the organization’s significance, more formal data analyses
have been conducted as well.
As an organization that works with juvenile probation, HH helps with monitoring and
tracking recidivism data among the youth referred to the organization’s outreach program by
juvenile probation, as low recidivism is an important performance benchmark that juvenile
probation departments and funders value as an outcome measure. The efforts of HH has
consistently resulted in the organization’s ability to maintain recidivism rates of 85% or better. In
2018, the organization’s annual report indicated that 92% of the youth remained offense free
during their involvement in the program. According to the organization’s archival data, in 2013,
HH’s programs across the country achieved a success rate of 90% with juvenile justice-involved
youth. Of the HH programs highlighted by a secondary data source, the following outcomes
demonstrated how the organization’s strength-based approaches with a trauma-informed lens
produce consistent results: in an intervention with status offenders, 98% of the youth did not
commit a new offense while in the program; another intervention with adjudicated youth who

11
had higher risk levels, HH helped 95% of them complete the program without committing a new
crime.
In regions where HH operates, local juvenile probation departments have identified it as
an effective alternative to incarceration, particularly for youth with low to moderate risk levels,
that is based on established research and provides a comprehensive scope of services to help
support youth in successfully completing juvenile probation without recidivism (commitment of
a new offense during program participation). As a featured organization of the Texas Public
Policy Foundation, HH has been recognized for being a therapeutic intervention that puts
juvenile offenders on a law-abiding productive path (Levin, 2010).
According to recidivism data from one jurisdiction, HH served as part of a community-
based alternative to juvenile detention and helped 95.5% of the youth avoid reoffending prior to
adjudication (Levin, 2010). In comparison to youth who were not in the program, 10% of them
reoffended (Levin, 2010). In another program of HH that operates an alternatives to out of home
placement in two jurisdictions for youth and provides them with daily contact, 94% of the youth
stayed in the local community and 84% of them did not commit a new offense while
participating in the outreach program (Levin, 2010). According to a report of the National
Mentoring Resource Center, a program of OJJDP, in a group of youth followed in the
organization’s mentoring program, 87% of the youth mentored completed the program without
committing an offense.
Due to the absence of national standards that require recidivism data of youth to be
tracked or analyzed (Bisbee, 2009; Council of State Governments Justice Center 2014;
Sickmund & Puzzanchera, 2014), it is unknown how often youth in other jurisdictions are re-
confined or re-incarcerated due to a new criminal offense after their initial involvement with the

12
juvenile justice system. Although there is a lack of national consensus on how recidivism should
be defined, measured, reported, and used to inform juvenile justice practices, literature in
juvenile justice suggests that when reporting recidivism that organizations clearly share its
definition, average length of time youth were in the setting being studied, type of setting studied
(i.e., probation, residential placement, or secure confinement) and risk factors of the youth
(Sickmund & Puzzanchera, 2014). For the purpose of this study, recidivism is defined as
commitment of a new offense while enrolled in the HH program.
On average, juvenile probation officers refer youth ages 10 – 17 to HH who are either
pre-adjudicated for diversion or adjudicated with a disposition of six months to one year of
juvenile probation (although some terms may last for longer periods) and are considered low to
moderate risk levels with needs ranging from moderate to high. Based on these parameters,
recidivism tracking helps juvenile probation and HH measure whether the program is
accomplishing its function of supporting youth in completing their terms of juvenile probation or
ending their involvement in the juvenile justice system without committing new crimes. Due to
the number of variables involved with defining, tracking and reporting recidivism, researchers
caution comparisons across various jurisdictions (Sickmund & Puzzanchera, 2014). More
specifically, published reports on juvenile recidivism have range from 12% - 55 % (Snyder &
Sickmund, 2006) to as much as 66% when measuring recidivism by rearrests (Mears & Travis,
2004).
Several juvenile probation departments, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP), and the Annie E. Casey Foundation have compelling evidence that HH is an
effective intervention for increasing pro-social behaviors and inspiring better choices among
juvenile justice-involved youth. During program participation, youth on probation have avoided

13
committing new offenses and have been able to complete their terms of juvenile probation with
completed community service. Instead of being committed to institutional settings, these youth
are able to strengthen community ties in positive ways and build relationships with HH’s team
members, who continue to serve as a source of support and resource to youth upon completion of
juvenile justice involvement. HH’s capacity to effectively serve these youth is strengthened
through collaboration with juvenile probation and engaging community assets, including other
youth-serving providers, business partners for youth job training and volunteers who serve as
role models and mentors.
Consistently maintaining recidivism rates of 10% or better while youth participate in the
HH program during supervised periods of juvenile probation is one significant measure that
helps quantify HH’s success. In 2019, 92% of the youth who were served through the
organization did not commit new offenses during program participation. Another important
measure of success is HH’s catalog of qualitative testimonials from youth, parents, and other
stakeholders who further confirm the benefits of augmenting juvenile probation services with
HH’s community-based interventions. Based on recidivism data, the cost savings to local
taxpayers, and the social benefits to juvenile justice-involved youth, HH is an organization with a
workforce trained to effectively implement community-based interventions that are worth
highlighting.
Organizational Performance Goal and Current Performance
Since inception, the goal of HH has been to reduce institutional confinement of youth,
particularly those of color and with adverse histories by reducing recidivism among juvenile
justice-involved youth and those at-risk for delinquency as well as increasing their access to
community-based resources and support that promote positive youth development. Through the

14
organization’s work and sensitivity to the needs of youth involved in the juvenile justice system,
the program has expanded its reach over the years to design and implement strategies for
preventing juvenile delinquency, preserving family structure through reunification, intensive
wraparound services, residential treatment, emergency shelters, transitional living, out-of-school
time programs (with services encompassing programming on the evenings, weekends, summers,
and holiday), non-traditional schools, literacy programs for youth and adults, and community
revitalization. Over time, the organization has expanded its services to change the quality of life
and landscape of the neighborhoods and communities where juvenile justice-involved youth and
those who are at-risk of delinquency live.
Therapeutic and rehabilitative services are provided by HH for youth enrolled in the
organization’s outreach program (where the majority of the youth are referred to the program
from juvenile probation referrals). Operating standards for juvenile detention centers require for
daily reports of admissions and releases to be maintained. According to HH, approximately half
of their sites use detention reports from juvenile probation to verify their internal tracking of
recidivism. Data collection methods established by HH, and in some cases in consultation with
juvenile probation, assists with monitoring the progress and results of the community-based
interventions offered.
The average cost of confinement in Texas is $366.88 per day per child while community-
based alternatives providing wraparound services, like HH, can be provided for as little as $75
per day (Justice Policy Institute, 2014). Therefore, for both social and economic purposes, HH’s
goal is that by June 2021, it will sustain its efforts of consistently assisting 90% of youth referred
for its outreach services from committing new offenses. This goal was established by HH’s

15
executive team and in consultation with HH’s board of directors, which includes a diverse group
of professionals with deep interest and commitment to the organization’s mission.
On average, HH’s funders and the juvenile probation departments in the jurisdictions
where they operate have established a benchmark for successful juvenile justice interventions as
82% of youth not committing new offenses. The organization has set their performance measure
at 90% to exceed the benchmarks of its funders and juvenile probation departments. The
achievement of HH’s goal in this matter will be measured by monthly and quarterly recidivism
audits through June 2021 and internal data collection of efforts to outcomes published in an
annual report, with distribution to a diverse group of stakeholders across the U.S. HH constitutes
a promising practice based on documented testimonials from youth, parents, probation
departments, and other stakeholders, past qualitative and quantitative research studies, and
compelling evidence published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
(OJJDP), Texas Public Policy Foundation, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
As highlighted by Maak (2007), stakeholders produce social capital associated with their
knowledge, skills, talents, relationships, networks and other non-monetary benefits that are
represented through connections with people who can be mobilized into action for the benefit of
working toward a mutually desirable vision. At HH, stakeholders assist the organization with
leveraging its resource and achieving competitive advantage with an inclusive stakeholder
model. Studies have shown that stakeholder feedback has a significant impact on organizational
learning and effectiveness (Ford, 2011; Wheeler & Sillanpa, 1998). In the case of HH, there are
three key stakeholders that provide feedback and contribute to the achievement of the
organization’s performance goal: HH’s service-delivery team, board of directors, and juvenile

16
probation departments. Each of these stakeholders have an active role in the organization’s
operations.
First, HH’s service-delivery team includes a multidisciplinary group of professional,
paraprofessional and volunteers who fill roles within the organization. A portion of the service-
delivery team works in paid and unpaid part-time positions. Full-time positions are filled by
professionals and paraprofessionals who serve in leadership and direct service roles. Each
member of HH’s service-delivery team contributes to the organization’s performance goal by
contributing knowledge and skills to implement strength-based approaches with a trauma-
informed lens that promote positive youth development and help juvenile justice-involved youth
counter challenges that contribute to re-offending. Individual and group counseling, academic
support/tutoring, fitness activities, art, music, community service opportunities, job training,
mentoring, youth support groups, pro-social activities, enrichment experiences, transportation,
assistance with basic necessities (i.e., food, clothing, toiletries), services to educate, support and
empower parents, service coordination between courts, attorneys and probation officers, and
other personal development activities are among the services that the service-delivery team at
HH help carryout.
The second stakeholder group that contributes to HH’s performance goal is the
organization’s board of directors. It is comprised of community leaders who represent multiple
levels of diversity, including those related to careers and professional skills. The board works
directly with the organization’s chief executive officer to set the overall organizational priorities
and resource allocations. Although the entire board is brought together quarterly, sub-committees
may meet at other times and individuals on the board of directors serve in a variety of consulting
roles for the organization. The board garners community support, engages key stakeholders,

17
helps with setting agency policies, provides financial oversight and guidance, and guides the
direction for the organization’s growth.
The third stakeholder who is essential to HH’s efforts are juvenile probation departments.
These agencies serve as one of HH’s primary sources of youth referrals and are guided by state
Juvenile Justice Departments for providing detention, probation and community-based services.
Juvenile probation departments and feedback from youth, families, and community stakeholders
inform HH of gaps in services and the needs of juveniles and their families. The performance
goal of HH is informed by the interest of juvenile probation departments in reducing new
offenses and re-incarceration for youth who are on supervised probation as well as diverting
youth from incarceration. The juvenile probation departments are primarily government funded.
However, they also receive grant funds from other sources as well as collect juvenile probation
and restitution fees. In addition to referring youth to HH, juvenile probation departments also
contribute funding to the organization.
Stakeholder Group for the Study
While the joint efforts of all stakeholders (including youth, their parents or caregivers,
business partners, schools, and other youth-serving agencies) contribute to the achievement of
the overall organizational goal of increasing community awareness about how the organization
assists 90% of youth in its outreach program with completing their juvenile probation
involvement without recidivism, it is important to understand the promising practices and
strategies utilized by HH’s service-delivery team. The programs and services implemented by
HH are aligned with approaches that are strength-based, trauma-informed, and consistent with
positive youth development principles.

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Therefore, the stakeholders of focus for this promising practice study was HH’s service-
delivery team. This stakeholder group was selected because of their role in providing youth with
relational support, the active role they play in addressing needs of youth, and their direct
application of principles that help youth develop critical life competencies. In establishing HH’s
performance goals, the organization’s leadership relies heavily on data-driven decision-making,
the experiences of the service-delivery team, statistics and expectations of both juvenile
probation departments and funders.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project is to study the organization’s performance related to a larger
problem of practice: recidivism of juvenile justice-involved youth. The analysis will focus on the
assets in the areas of knowledge and skill, motivation, and organizational resources. While a
complete study would focus on all stakeholders, for practical purposes the stakeholder of focus
in this analysis is HH’s service-delivery team.
Research questions that will guide the promising practice study are as follows:
1. What are the knowledge and motivational factors that influence HH’s service delivery
team’s implementation of promising practices for reducing recidivism?
2. How do knowledge and motivational factors connect to the organization’s practices in
reducing recidivism?
3. What is the interaction between the organizational culture and the juvenile justice system
that contributes to the knowledge and motivation of HH’s service-delivery team?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
In the non-profit sector, organizations have multiple stakeholders for which they are
accountable (Ebrahim, 2010). As a result, they may not only struggle with “prioritizing and

19
coordinating among multiple interests and constituents,” but may also have difficulty with
balancing the time and resources required to meet the different expectations associated with each
stakeholder (Ebrahim, 2010). Conflicts may arise when organizations do not have an effective
strategy for how they will meet or exceed stakeholder expectations. Although organizations may
accurately identify key stakeholders, they may not accurately gauge how to best allocate
resources to meet accountability demands. Therefore, in the non-profit sector, organizations must
learn how to strike a balance between its daily operating duties and its service-delivery
responsibilities. Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis, a systematic, analytical method that helps
to understand organizational goal achievement, will be adapted to a promising practice study and
implemented as the conceptual framework. The methodological framework is a qualitative case
study with descriptive statistics. Assumed knowledge, motivation and organizational assets were
generated based on personal knowledge and related literature. These assets will be assessed by
using questionnaires, a focus group, literature review and content analysis. Research-based
solutions are recommended and evaluated in a comprehensive manner.
Definitions
Adjudication: A court procedure that results in the formal disposition of a juvenile case, which
may result in supervised probation, residential placement or other combinations of programs
court ordered by a judge.
Complex Developmental Trauma: Childhood exposure to multiple, chronic, and prolonged,
developmentally adverse traumatic events, most often of an invasive, interpersonal nature, and
often resulting in a wide range of long-term impacts (National Child Traumatic Stress Network,
2016; Van der Kolk and Courtois, 2005, p. 402).
Juvenile Crime: Illegal activities committed by individuals between the ages of 10 to 17.

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Juvenile Delinquency: Problematic or antisocial conduct of individuals between the ages of 10 to
17 that are categorized as offenses that indicate a need for supervision. If the same offense were
committed by an adult it either would not be considered a law violation or may only result in a
fine.
Positive Youth Development: “A comprehensive way of thinking about the development of
adolescents and the factors that facilitate their successful transition from adolescence to
adulthood” (Butts, Bazemore and Meroe, 2010, p. 9).
Recidivism: A new criminal offense committed by a juvenile who is under supervision by
juvenile probation.
Strength-based approaches: Approaches that emphasize recognizing and building strengths to
help individuals become more resourceful and resilient in the face of adversity.
Trauma-informed: Understanding that harmful, adverse, or life-threatening experiences impact
biopsychosocial outcomes across the lifespan and using this knowledge for adopting policies and
practices that promote safe environments, healing and well-being.
Organization of the Study
Five chapters are used to organize this study. This chapter provided the key concepts and
terminology commonly found in a discussion about juvenile crime and delinquency. The
organization’s mission, goals and stakeholders as well as the initial concepts of gap analysis
were introduced. Chapter Two provides a review of current literature surrounding the scope of
the study. Topics of community-based interventions, attachment, and approaches to positive
youth development will be addressed. Chapter Three details the assumed assets for this study as
well as methodology when it comes to choice of participants, data collection and analysis. In
Chapter Four, the data and results are assessed and analyzed. Chapter Five provides

21
recommendation for practice, based on data and literature as well as recommendations for an
implementation and evaluation plan.

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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
This literature review outlines the emergence of community-based interventions as a
contributing factor of improving social and economic outcomes for youth involved in the
juvenile justice system. The first section focuses on how early attachments shape behavior. The
second section focuses on risk factors for juvenile justice involvement. This is followed by an in-
depth discussion on approaches to positive youth development. Research on the application of
positive youth development to juvenile justice is included in the discussion. The chapter ends
with an analysis of positive youth development from the lens of learning and motivation
literature. A gap analysis framework by Clark & Estes (2008), helps describe the dimensions of
knowledge, motivational and organizational influences on the service-delivery team at HH.
Community-based Interventions for Reducing Juvenile Recidivism
Historically, juvenile detention centers and other forms of incarceration have been used
for punitive purposes as well as to respond to the difficulty that parents/guardians and/or school
officials may have in managing problematic behaviors of youth. These facilities have also been
used for sanctions tied to juvenile probation violations, missed court hearings, uncooperative
attitudes of youth and/or their parents, and for other factors unrelated to public safety. Although
incarceration is a common juvenile justice intervention, Kelly (2014) and other scholars have
brought attention to the poor outcomes it produces for youth (Council of State Governments
Justice Center, 2014; Ramchand, Morral, & Becker, 2009). Research has indicated that juvenile
recidivism rates are higher when alternatives to incarceration are not used as an intervention
practice for youth charged with certain delinquent or criminal offenses. Seigle, Walsh, & Weber
(2014) highlighted that when low-risk juvenile offenders are placed in detention they have higher
recidivism rates than other low-risk juvenile offenders who may receive an alternative

23
intervention such as probation or other diversion services. Smith (2013) asserted that non-violent
juvenile offenders can be managed safely in the community rather than incarcerated. He
suggested that when incarceration is used as an intervention practice for non-violent offenders,
the consequences are high recidivism rates and future offenses that are more serious.
Alternatively, research highlights a need for community-based interventions and other
alternatives to confinement that produce healthier outcomes and reduce recidivism (Brooks &
Roush, 2014; Ferrer, 2016; Holman & Ziedenberg, 2006; Mendel, 2014; Walker, Bishop,
Pullmann & Bauer, 2015). Although specialty court programs, mentoring initiatives, engaging
parents or caregivers, educational opportunities, community involvement and job training are
among the types of practices that have been highlighted in juvenile justice literature to promote
positive youth development outcomes (Bonnie, Johnson, Chemers, & Schuck, 2013; Howell,
2009; Jackson, 2002; Levin, 2010; Sullivan, Blair, Latessa, & Sullivan, 2014), a key
consideration in providing alternatives to confinement is facilitating youth engagement in
healthy, pro-social relationships and environments that strengthen connections to law-abiding
lifestyles, inspire self-efficacy, and improve productive social and cognitive skills (Bonnie,
Johnson, Chemers, & Schuck, 2013; Brooks & Roush, 2014; Levin, 2010, Lipsey, 2009).
Early Attachments Shape Behavior
Overview of Attachment Theory
As a pioneer of attachment theory, John Bowlby’s scholarly contributions helped establish
the importance of caregivers in providing their children with a foundation for support and
affection that influences security and confidence in future relationships (Bowlby, 1969; 1977).
Prior to Bowlby’s (1969) writing about attachment and loss during early childhood, he
empirically studied how vulnerable children’s lives were impacted by interactions and practices

24
of caregivers (Bowlby, 1944). In this study, he investigated the maternal deprivation and
separation experiences of children at a child guidance center who had juvenile offenses of
stealing and compared them with a control group who were receiving services from the clinic but
had not engaged in stealing (Bowlby, 1944). A significant finding from Bowlby’s (1944)
research indicated that a common theme among the juvenile offenders was their experiences of
parental separation during the critical developmental years of infancy to early childhood resulted
in poor attachment patterns. He concluded that when infants and young children lack emotional
closeness with a parent or other attachment figure, they are more likely to go without comfort
and support during times of distress, which leads to maladaptive cognitions, antisocial behaviors
and difficulty in developing healthy interpersonal relationships later in life (Bowlby, 1944).
Attachment theory is credited with associating the quality and strength of parental or
caregiving behaviors with intellectual, psychological and social outcomes that have implications
on relationships throughout the lifespan (Bowlby, 1977; Rutter, 1995; Gibson & Krohn, 2013).
The theory stresses the importance of a caregiver’s role in helping children develop healthy
emotional bonds that support needs of safety, security and protection (Bowlby, 1977; Gibson &
Krohn, 2013; Prior & Glaser, 2006). A study conducted by Blakely& Dziadosz (2015)
emphasized that attachment is a major consideration in how children develop social and
emotional competencies.
Through naturalistic observations John Bowlby established that parents and caregivers play a
vital role in how children grow and develop (Bowlby, 1977; Blakely& Dziadosz, 2015).
Bowlby’s observations led him to conclude the basic tenants of the theory, which indicate that
infants have greater confidence in their parents or caregivers when they demonstrated the ability
to respond to their needs, protect them and provide emotional security (Bowlby, 1977; Blakely&

25
Dziadosz, 2015; Sroufe, 1996). Distress experienced by infants when separated from parents or
caregivers is associated with the amount of support infants perceive they have from their parents
or caregivers (Sroufe, 1996; Blakely& Dziadosz, 2015). Scholars suspect that by the age of 18
months, infants have formulated attachment patterns with caregivers and other significant figures
(Prior & Glaser, 2006).
Types of Attachment
Bowlby and other attachment theorists have found that from infancy to early childhood,
interactions with parents or other substitute caregivers influence how well children might acquire
skills to navigate both physical and social environments (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters & Wall,
(1978; Blakely& Dziadosz, 2015; Bowlby, 1997; Dykas & Cassidy, 2011). Based on earlier
research of Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall (1978), scholars have discussed several types of
attachment styles that are established in early childhood. A secure attachment style is the most
pro-social type of attachment that often produces competent reactions to stressors and serves as a
key motivator for individuals to empathize and relate to others (Ainsworth, 1989; Blakely&
Dziadosz, 2015; Murray, Halligan, Adams, Patterson, & Goodyer, 2006; Kennedy & Kennedy,
2004). As a result of reliable and trusting caregiver interactions and emotional bonding, infants
with secure attachment are able to separate from caregivers to comfortably play and explore the
physical and social environment (Ashford & LeCroy, 2010; Levy, Blatt, & Shaver, 1998; Sroufe,
1996). When children demonstrate secure attachment styles during early stages of development,
they are more likely to have better coping and problem-solving skills as well as appreciate
healthy relationships (Coleman, 2003; Murray, Halligan, Adams, Patterson, & Goodyer, 2006;
Wittmer, 2011).

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Categories of insecure attachment styles that have been associated with maladaptive
behaviors include anxious/resistant and anxious/avoidant styles. Anxious/resistant attachment is
marked by significant distress of infants when caregivers are not within close proximity (Levy,
Blatt, & Shaver, 1998; Sroufe, 1996). Anxious avoidant attachment is characterized by infants
who are more likely to interact with strangers and avoid seeking and accepting physical and
emotional caregiver support when distressed (Levy, Blatt, & Shaver, 1998; Sroufe, 1996).
Similar to previous findings of Bowlby (1944), parental neglect or absence not only create
barriers to secure attachment styles that allow individuals to formulate positive perceptions about
themselves, but also diminishes their confidence in perceiving others as supportive or
dependable (Coleman, 2003; Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007). In the context of juvenile justice,
research has emerged that indicates insecure attachment styles among juvenile offenders are
common and associated with emotional instability and lack of empathy for others (Adshead,
2002; Lindberg, Fugett, & Lounder, 2014). The intersection of children’s lives with the juvenile
justice system can be linked to precursors of disappointments, hardships and stressors from
infancy to early childhood that interfere with their inability to avoid risk factors and achieve
secure attachments.
Risk Factors that Interfere with Secure Attachments
Forming secure attachments with caregivers is a critical developmental task that can become
compromised when children encounter problematic situations and are not able to consistently
rely on caregivers for safety and security. In child development literature several barriers to
healthy, secure attachment have been noted. First, physical distance and prolonged separation
may trigger uncomfortable or upsetting situations for children. Such situations may occur due to
social neglect and institutionalization that interfere with children’s ability to form secure

27
attachment (Bowlby, 1944; Hildyard & Wolfe, 2002; Zeanah, Berlin & Boris, 2011). Caregivers’
prolonged separations from infants can also create barriers that interfere with communication
patterns, physical closeness and responsiveness to infants’ needs (Bowlby, 1969; Bowlby, 1977;
Zeanah, Berlin & Boris, 2011). For instance, parental incarceration may trigger physical and
emotional separation that causes children to have negative feelings about their safety, security
and stability (Murray & Murray, 2010). During infancy and early childhood this is particularly
problematic if children do not have a substitute caregiver to support them in achieving
developmental milestones.
Next, interactions from caregivers to infants that are marked by hostility and conflict
create tension and produce negative emotional outcomes that interfere with secure attachments.
(Zeanah, Berlin & Boris, 2011). Another source of tension that puts children at-risk for not
achieving secure attachment is violence between parents and/or family members, as it can evoke
fear and uncertainty that reduce children’s comfort seeking from caregivers (Neigh, Gillespie, &
Nemeroff, 2009; Zeanah, Berlin & Boris, 2011). As suggested by Hazan & Shaver (1997)
individuals who do not develop secure attachments are more likely to struggle with accepting
love or affectionate sentiments and may question whether they can trust others.
Oftentimes, social and economic problems of caregivers expose children to difficult
situations that distract caregivers from dedicating quality time, attention and support to their
children with nurturing interactions that facilitate secure attachment. Caregiver challenges, such
as long work hours, mental health issues, divorce, poverty, health concerns and other negative
life events can produce risks and disadvantages for children in ways that make them vulnerable
to adverse outcomes, including juvenile justice involvement (Metzler, Merrick, Klevens, Ports,
& Ford, 2017).

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Juvenile Justice Involvement
Social Disadvantages
Scholars have noted that there are various social factors that may influence initial and
repeated involvement of youth in the juvenile justice system. More specifically, scholars have
noted that the behaviors and parenting styles of caregivers significantly influence how children
establish and maintain healthy, supportive relationships (Coleman, 2003; Metzler, Merrick,
Klevens, Ports, & Ford, 2017; Ou & Reynolds, 2010; Ungar, 2004). Next, socioeconomic status
of parents is a factor that determines where children live and attend school as well as the degree
to which children may have access to resources and opportunities (Furstenberg, Cook, Eccles,
Elder, & Sameroff , 1999; Ou & Reynolds, 2010). Another social issue of concern is that
behavioral and conduct problems during early childhood may impact social competence and
experiences due to underlying psychological and academic issues (Christle, Jolivette, & Nelson,
2005; Ou & Reynolds, 2010).
Additionally, home environments associated with difficult family dynamics, abuse, neglect,
illegal activities and other stressors may result in maladaptive coping skills (Grogan-Kaylor,
Ruffolo, Ortega, & Clarke, 2008; Neigh, Gillespie, & Nemeroff, 2009; Ou & Reynolds, 2010).
Similarly, lack of stable and/or adequate housing may add strain and despair to caregivers that
result in uncertainty about how children will have their basic physiological needs met (Mechanic
& Tanner, 2007; Ou & Reynolds, 2010; Pearlin, Schieman, Fazio, & Meersman, 2005; Walsh,
2011). Children without family and financial stability may become disconnected from school due
to disruptions in housing that require them to switch schools and distract them from learning (Ou
& Reynolds, 2010; Walsh, 2011). Lastly, negative peer associations and involvement with a
delinquent peer group strongly influence youth as juveniles and strongly predicts maladjustment

29
behaviors later in life (Dukes,Martinez, & Stein, 1997; Mulder, Brand, Bullens, & Van Marle,
2011; Ou & Reynolds, 2010; Schreck, Fisher & Miller, 2004; Wampler & Downs, 2010).
Community Related Disadvantages
In addition to social risk factors, community related barriers contribute to disadvantages
experienced by juvenile justice-involved youth. Research suggests that local communicates can
help facilitate change or further contribute to some of the underlying issues resulting in juvenile
crime and delinquency (Lambie & Randell, 2013; Wright, Kim, Chassin, Losoya, & Piquero,
2014). Studies correlating characteristics of local communities to juvenile crime have indicated
that social and economic disadvantages may limit accessibility to life-enhancing resources and
opportunities. More specifically, neighborhoods with characteristics of poverty, under-
performing schools, weak support system resources, limited social services, and strained public
health and safety resources, are less likely to promote the social bonds and community cohesion
needed for children to sustain prosocial relationships and involvement in activities that
encourage positive youth development (Chamberlain, 2015; Day, Ji, DuBois, Silverthorn, &
Flay, 2016; Intravia, Pelletier, Wolff, & Baglivio, 2017; Wright, Kim, Chassin, Losoya, &
Piquero, 2014).
Political climate and public perception of youth who commit criminal or delinquent offenses
may influence whether punitive or rehabilitative responses result (Applegate, Davis, & Cullen,
2009; Bonnie, Johnson, Chemers, & Schuck, 2013; Butts & Mears, 2001; Lambie & Randell,
2013; Schwalbe & Maschi, 2009). Lack of community-based resources and/or services may
expedite and extend the length of time juvenile justice-involved youth spend in detention,
residential treatment or other institutional settings (Gottesman & Schwarz, 2011; Mitchell,
2011). Hiring practices, staffing and funding issues may result in decisions that do not make

30
children’s rehabilitative needs a priority (Aarons, Fettes, Flores, & Sommerfeld, 2009; Lambie &
Randell, 2013; Nelson, Jolivette, Leone, & Mathur, 2010; White, Aalsma, Holloway, Adams, &
Salyers, 2015). The absence of strategic plans on how to best counter risk factors that interfere
with progress toward major developmental tasks, such as achieving social autonomy and social
integration, is also a problematic issue (Bonnie, Johnson, Chemers, & Schuck, 2013; Lambie &
Randell, 2013).
Furthermore, inaccurate assessment of problems often result in poor treatment interventions
and ineffective outcomes (Justice Policy Institute, 2014; Lambie & Randell, 2013; White,
Aalsma, Holloway, Adams, & Salyers, 2015). Re-entry planning may not include consideration
of how incarceration can negatively influence transition back into the community, particularly as
related to continuity of care for mental and health related issues, education, social connections
and support, family, and stigma of incarceration (Lambie & Randell, 2013). Although there is
not a single cause that explains juvenile offending, it is clear that the community is an important
context to consider in the development of juvenile crime and delinquency (Bonnie, Johnson,
Chemers, & Schuck, 2013; Nelson, Jolivette, Leone, & Mathur, 2010).
Approaches to Positive Youth Development
Positive Youth Development
Positive Youth Development is a theoretical orientation that suggests that youth receive short
and long-term benefits when they are connected to safe and supportive relationships that allow
them to integrate existing and emerging knowledge, skills and abilities into their physical and
social environments (Butts, Mayer, & Ruth, 2005; Roth & Brooks-Gunn, 2003). In the United
States there are various community-based programs and national organizations that seek to
promote positive youth development (Barton & Butts, 2008; Campbell, Trzesniewski, Nathaniel,

31
Enfield & Erbstein, 2013; Lerner, et al, 2012; Lerner, et al, 2013). Unlike deficit-based models
that focus on problematic behaviors and qualities, Positive Youth Development involves the use
of strength-based principles and practices to help youth better manage and respond to personal
and community stressors (Barton & Butts, 2008; Damon, 2004; Petitpas, Van Raalte, & France,
2017). The integration of specific methods, techniques and practices of positive youth
development may vary based on the resources and relationships available within and across the
agencies, organizations and communities in which children’s lives intersect (Lerner, et al, 2012).
As mentioned by Lerner, et al, 2012, effective positive youth development programs help youth
“build strong adult–youth relationships (People), include active involvement of youth in giving
back to family, school, and community (Contribution), offer productive and recreational
opportunities for youth (Activities), and provide a safe environment free from drugs and violence
with adult supervision (Place).”
Community Youth Development
Community youth development focuses on promoting developmental opportunities for youth
through community-wide initiatives that expand beyond a specific program. The approach
strategically engages youth, citizens, professionals and leaders in collaborating to plan, create
services and fill gaps to address issues that impact healthy youth development (Erbstein, Calvert,
Emery, & Kinsey, 2013; Watson, 2010). Families and communities are the two important factors
that determine whether young people will have positive or negative life experiences that impact
their future trajectory (Erbstein, 2010; Villarruel, Perkins, Borden, & Keith, 2003). Community
youth development approaches shift the responsibility for children to transition into productive
adulthood from parents alone to a more comprehensive and collaborative effort between parents
and communities, where various stakeholders who intentionally collaborate to support positive

32
youth development outcomes (Carrasco & Campbell, 2010; Villarruel, Perkins, Borden, & Keith,
2003). Positive youth development programs can be expanded and enhanced through community
youth development approaches because they mobilize all youth-serving agencies in a particular
community to adopt a positive youth development framework, where young people are engaged
in “skill-enhancing opportunities” that facilitate desirable health and behavioral outcomes
(Villarruel, Perkins, Borden, & Keith, 2003).
Application to Juvenile Justice
Historically, positive youth development approaches have not been widely applied to youth
populations involved in nonconventional activities or to those with an intensity and frequency of
maladaptive behaviors resulting in contact with law enforcement and the juvenile justice system.
Many youth are typically challenged by multiple disadvantages prior to their contact with the
juvenile justice system (Haines & Case, 2015; Ou & Reynolds, 2010). Hardships,
disappointments, financial challenges, deprived communities, and/or hostile situations are some
of the circumstances that interfere with youth access to positive youth development programs or
activities (Haines & Case, 2015). Oftentimes, juvenile justice-involved youth have more
knowledge and participation in the negative, risky, antisocial activities offered in communities
rather than being engaged and committed to positive, productive and prosocial activities (Haines
& Case, 2015; Nelson, Jolivette, Leone, & Mathur, 2010). Despite the difficult backgrounds and
self-destructing behaviors of juvenile justice-involved youth, a positive youth development and
community youth development framework assumes these youth can benefit from relationships
and programs that socialize them into developing or strengthening qualities that are consistent
with societal norms (Haines & Case, 2015; Jarvis, Shear & Hughes, 1997).

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The Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analysis Conceptual Framework
Clark and Estes (2008) provide a theoretical framework that assists organizations with
achieving optimal performance. The framework helps counter barriers to organizational
performance by systematically analyzing factors that contribute to knowledge, motivation and
organizational (KMO) gaps between current performance and desired organizational goals.
According to Clark & Estes (2008) people in organizations tend to prioritize their choices,
persistence, and mental effort on activities that have the most impact. Additionally, they note that
pressure points within organizations can influence performance (Clark & Estes, 2008). However,
they also give consideration to organizational issues and assert that such issues play a role in how
work processes are implemented as well as the extent to which material resources are made
available to staff (Clark & Estes, 2008).
As presented by Krathwohl (2002), there are four knowledge influences that help explain
knowledge gaps that may interfere with achieving performance goals: (a) factual; (b) procedural;
(c) conceptual; and (d) metacognitive. Research-informed considerations that are important for
motivation include autonomy, maintenance of goal-directed actions, and investing the necessary
cognitive effort to enhance problem-solving and productivity (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 80 – 81).
Motivation is significant in determining how well knowledge and skills are used and applied to
accomplish specific work related benchmarks (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). Lastly,
organizational performance gaps are defined as cultural models or settings, associated with
elements of the social and physical work environment that effect confidence, commitment and
outcomes (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 103 – 105).
In the review of literature that follows, key features of the Clark and Estes (2008) gap
analysis will be presented to highlight how KMO influences have an impact on the HH

34
stakeholder’s ability to meet its service delivery team’s performance goal of providing services
that deter youth from committing new criminal offenses while participating in the organization’s
juvenile justice program. Section one will focus on knowledge and skills that are linked to the
stakeholder’s performance goal. In section two, key features of motivation and how they are
associated with achievement of the stakeholder goal will be considered. The final section will
review how organizational influences are connected with achievement of the stakeholder goal. In
Chapter 3, the methodology used to examine each of the assumed knowledge, motivation and
organizational influences will be discussed in further detail.
Knowledge and Skills
It is important to examine knowledge and skills in problem-solving because both are
invaluable assets that contribute to organizational goals (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 57). Clark
(1998) asserts that, “The two most important internal performance processes in all human beings
are our knowledge system and motivation system.” He further suggests that both systems are
dependent on each other, and must be collectively considered in diagnosing and resolving
performance problems. Generally, organizations might examine factual, conceptual, procedural,
and/or metacognitive knowledge to analyze and resolve specific problems. In the juvenile justice
literature, there are several scholars who highlight the significant role that knowledge influences
play in youth outcomes (Barton & Butts, 2008; Evans-Chase & Zhou, 2014; Henggeler &
Schoenwald, 2011; Upperton & Thompson, 2007). At HH, factual, conceptual, procedural and
metacognitive knowledge are the knowledge types that the service-delivery team is expected to
learn. Each of these knowledge types are represented in Table 2 along with HH’s organizational
mission, global goal, and stakeholder goal. In sum, HH has specific processes in place to help

35
with learning and applying knowledge in each of the knowledge categories previously
mentioned.
Factual knowledge. Factual knowledge is characterized as basic information needed to
resolve a particular problem (Krathwohl, 2002). More specifically to the stakeholders, it involves
acquiring information, specific terminology and other basic content (Krathwohl, 2002) that is
relevant to working on HH’s service-delivery team. One of the most fundamental sources of data
collected during the intake process at HH is factual knowledge, as the service-delivery team
needs to know the reason(s) for youth referrals from the juvenile probation department to HH.
Prior to submitting referrals to HH, probation officers engage in the practice of assessing
the risks and needs of youth, which has proven to be an effective strategy for many juvenile
justice jurisdictions because it helps guide the intervention process (Upperton & Thompson,
2007). Since HH is a program targeted for youth with low to moderate risks, the risk and needs
assessment plays a critical role in helping juvenile probation officers determine whether HH is
the most appropriate organization for addressing the risks and needs of the youth being referred
to the program. HH’s referral form includes a checklist as well as provides probation officers
with the opportunity to add narrative comments. This factual information is important to HHs
performance goal because it helps the organization establish baseline behaviors and create a
strategy to attach youth to community-based resources and support that deter youth from further
engaging in delinquent or criminal activity.
Conceptual knowledge. Another knowledge level descried by Krathwohl (2002) that is
significant to HH’s performance goal is conceptual. At HH, conceptual knowledge is the starting
point for formulating ideas about how to develop, design and implement specific procedures,
practices, or techniques. Conceptual knowledge influences HH’s thinking about juvenile justice

36
problems and establishes the necessary knowledge base for the service-delivery team to have
prior to selecting the best interventions for addressing the practice problems they encounter
among juvenile justice-involved youth.
In the juvenile justice literature, conceptual knowledge encompasses how theories and
research-informed practices are referenced and used to guide service-delivery actions and
behaviors (Hoge, Guerra & Boxer, 2008; Lipsey and Howell, 2012). Furthermore, there is
widespread agreement that effective programming for juvenile justice-involved youth are based
on treatment and rehabilitation models that are research-informed (Hoge, Guerra & Boxer, 2008,
Lipsey and Howell, 2012). It is important for HH’s service-delivery team to have conceptual
knowledge because it helps team members understand the rationale for critically applying theory
to the treatment and rehabilitation programs they are responsible for implementing. Consistent
with the research findings of Hoge, Guerra & Boxer (2008) treatment and rehabilitation
programs have a direct impact on whether recidivism risk factors are reduced and strengths or
protective factors are increased. Although HH has not been empirically validated as an evidence-
based program, conceptual knowledge helps explain how the organization has made use of what
Lipsey and Howell (2012) refer to as evidence from research, which provides characteristics of
effective programs to support local juvenile justice efforts like HH.
Procedural knowledge. The next knowledge level described by Krathwohl (2002) that is
significant to HH’s performance goal is procedural. Although HH provides the service-delivery
team with guidance about what to do and how to do certain aspects of their job, procedural
knowledge is not sufficient enough to handle unique or unexpected problems (Clark & Estes,
2008, p. 59) that may vary according to the presenting challenges of each juvenile justice-
involved youth encountered by the service-delivery team. Procedural knowledge allows for

37
factual and conceptual knowledge to expand to knowing how and when to apply the appropriate
skills and techniques (Krathwohl, 2002).
Data presented to HH from juvenile probation as well as information gathered during the
enrollment process is from a trauma-informed, therapeutic treatment and rehabilitative lens.
Therefore, procedural knowledge serves as a basis for the service-delivery team’s use of
strength-based approaches that promote positive youth development at what Sampson, Robert &
Laub (2005) describe as a stage in the life-course that is crucial for reducing future delinquent or
criminal activity. It is HH’s service-delivery team’s application of conceptual knowledge that has
fueled professional interactions with youth to support effective outcomes, as evidenced by the
organization’s ability to assist at least 90% of the youth who participate in its outreach program
with completing juvenile probation without committing a new crime during program
participation. Overall, factual knowledge helps HH’s service-delivery team to understand each
child’s presenting issue(s) and provides a foundation for building a conceptual framework of
when and why to implement certain techniques, skills, activities or approaches that activate
procedural knowledge.
Metacognitive Knowledge. The last knowledge level described by Krathwohl (2002)
that influences HH’s performance goal is metacognitive. This type of knowledge is associated
with how learners may use information they acquire to complete cognitive tasks, engage in
reflection and problem solve (Krathwohl, 2002). Metacognitive knowledge helps one to
formulate rational ideas and logic to plan, problem-solve and transfer learning from one context
to another (Krathwohl, 2002; Rueda, 2011, p. 28 – 29). As noted by Clark and Estes (2008, p. 58
– 59) training and education are important to job performance. Knowing when and how to apply
information acquired through training and education is a significant catalyst to professional

38
growth and development. At HH, metacognition is encouraged at both individual and collective
levels. Continuing education, professional development and team meetings provide the service-
delivery team with opportunities to acquire new knowledge, share information and reflect on
their learning. As suggested by Mayer (2011, p. 42), although metacognitive knowledge may
provide a foundation for developing thinking skills, motivation is an important factor in
determining whether individuals will appropriately use metacognitive strategies in their learning.
At HH efforts are made to motivate and support independent, self-directed learning and self-
regulation through written reflections completed after professional development sessions,
documentation of interactions with clients, and verbally providing and receiving feedback in the
context of performance goals.

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Table 2. Knowledge Influence, Knowledge Types, and Knowledge Assessment

Organizational Mission
The mission of HH focuses on opening doors of opportunity for the individuals who come to
the organization’s attention.
Organizational Global Goal
Provide community-based resources and support to youth referred to HH.
Stakeholder Goal
Continue providing services that help at least 90% of the youth who participate in HH to
complete juvenile probation without committing a new offense.
Knowledge Influence Knowledge Type (i.e.,
declarative (factual or
conceptual),
procedural, or
metacognitive)
Knowledge
Influence
Assessment
Service-delivery team knows the needs of the
youth in the program.

Factual (knowledge of
specific details on the
referral form)
Knowledge of “What”
Referral form
specifies reason
for referral and
presenting
concerns
Case manager (key member of the service-
delivery team) knows how to develop an
Individual Support Plan (ISP) that promotes
positive youth development. Service-delivery
team members engage in activities that support
the ISP.
Conceptual (i.e.,
knowledge of theories
that support positive
youth development)
Knowledge of “Why”
Individual
Support Plan
includes
strengths, goals
and activities
that align with
principles of
positive youth
development
Service-delivery team knows how to build
rapport and develop an alliance with youth and
their parents or guardians

Procedural (i.e.,
knowledge of person-
centered approaches and
motivational
interviewing techniques)
Knowledge of “How”

Questionnaire
and Document
Analysis
The service-delivery team engages in
reflection about their practices.
Metacognitive Questionnaire
and Document
Analysis

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Motivation
There is a positive correlation between motivation and organizational performance.
Positive motivational support in the workplace environment increases enthusiasm and
productivity among employees (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 79). Among the motivational factors that
enhance performance outcomes in juvenile justice programs are: professional development and
networking with peer groups, intrinsic value, and self-efficacy (Barton and Butts, 2008; Frabutt,
Di Luca, Graves, 2008; Schwalbe & Maschi, 2008; 2009). At HH, reducing gaps between goals
and performance is essential to fulfilling the organization’s mission.
Clark and Estes (2008) outline several ethical and effective strategies that contribute to a
positive motivational culture. Of those presented, there are two that appear to have the most
influence on HH’s desire to consistently achieve its performance goal of assisting youth
successfully complete their period of juvenile probation without committing a new offense. The
first motivational factor is helping people develop confidence in work skills (Clark & Estes,
2008, pp. 90 -94). The second is creating a positive emotional environment (Clark & Estes, 2008,
pp. 90 -94). Both factors align with theoretical perspectives presented in motivational literature.
Helping people develop confidence in work skills is consistent with self-efficacy theory, and
creating a positive emotional environment is consistent with behavioral theories of learning and
social cognitive theory.
Confidence in work skills. Professional confidence is tied to self-efficacy, and has a
significant influence on workplace interactions and job performance (Clark & Estes, 2008). As
suggested by Pajares (2009), self-efficacy impacts the degree to which individuals perceive they
are capable of learning and/or performing specific tasks. Without a foundation of professional
skills and abilities, employees may struggle with prioritizing, timing, and critically thinking

41
about ways to best accomplish performance goals. The more confidence employees have in their
work skills, the more likely they are to start and complete tasks that may range from low to high
levels of difficulty (Clark & Estes, 2008).
An Individual Support Plan (ISP) is a document used by HH that reflects how the
organization implements specific practices that are consistent with a therapeutic philosophy as
well as the organization’s performance goal. As presented in Table 3, HH’s service-delivery
team should be motivated to thoroughly review the referral and should have the self-efficacy to
develop an effective ISP for each child. This motivational influence is significant because it can
be monitored and assessed by combining analysis of the referral forms with subsequent reviews
of the ISP and other documents that provide insight about the absence or presence of therapeutic
interventions. As noted by Lipsey and Howell (2012), effective juvenile justice interventions
have a therapeutic philosophy rather than a controlling philosophy for altering maladaptive
behaviors.
Expectancy value as defined by Eccles (2006) is an additional motivational influence
presented in Table 3. It is suspected that HH’s service-delivery team is motivated to build
rapport and develop an alliance with youth and parents or guardians because the service-delivery
team understands the positive implications that such tasks have on the organization’s
performance goal. This perspective aligns with several studies that suggests rapport-building
with youth and families is a key tenet of positive juvenile justice outcomes (Barton & Butts,
2008; Bonnie, Johnson, Chemers, & Schuck, 2013; Henry, Henaghan, Sanders & Munford,
2015; Shader, 2001; Walker, Bishop, Pullmann & Bauer, 2015). Therefore, a survey
administered to youth and parents or guardians can provide assessment data to help HH
determine whether its therapeutic strength-based efforts are resulting in the types of connections

42
with youth and parents that are conducive to influencing behavioral changes that counter juvenile
delinquency and crime.
Confidence in work skills is critical to delivering developmentally appropriate juvenile
justice interventions as planned (Bonnie, Johnson, Chemers, & Schuck, 2013; Evans-Chase &
Zhou, 2014). According to Collins (2001) organizational performance is directly related to the
qualities of the individuals who work within the organization. He implies that organizations
should select team members based on their talent and competence because they will more likely
have confidence in their work skills (Collins, 2001). At HH, there is evidence that confidence in
work skills starts with the careful selection of the service-delivery team members. Prior to
working with HH, team members must demonstrate how their education and/or experience
prepared them to support or implement interventions with juvenile justice-involved youth that
are consistent with a therapeutic philosophy. Based on the organization’s job recruitment and
pre-employment screening, efforts are put into hiring individuals with a growth mindset and an
appreciation for the value of HH’s therapeutic approaches.
During the recruitment process for paid and unpaid members of the service-delivery
team, HH shares information about the organization’s mission, population served, and
knowledge, skills and abilities that are needed to fill specific positions. Individuals who express
an interest in applying for a position with HH are invited to participate in an interview process.
The interview provides an opportunity for candidates to learn about both rewarding and
challenging aspects of the position. Candidates who are able to provide examples of high self-
efficacy are typically able to demonstrate how their professional credentials, cognitive flexibility,
critical thinking, and resilience were attributed to their past accomplishments, sustained effort,

43
and confidence in work tasks. At HH, candidates who demonstrate high self-efficacy are more
likely to be selected for service-delivery positions.
Positive emotional environment. Behavioral theories of learning and social cognitive
theory suggests that fostering positive emotions in the workplace involves creating positive
experiences in the physical and social environment (Clark, 1998; Dembo & Eaton, 2000;
Hargreaves, Boyle & Harris, 2014; Tuckman, 2009). At HH, there is a culture of connectedness
in the social environment – where employees are encouraged and expected to make personal
connections with their team members. Employee spotlights, team meetings and information
sharing across a variety of platforms promotes engagement while allowing the service-delivery
team to build positive social interactions and enhance cohesion.
Weekly service-delivery team meetings encourage a collaborative work environment, and
provide an opportunity for employees to share progress, challenges, successes, updates about
deadlines, and other thoughts or feelings that can contribute to a positive emotional environment.
Each month, the organization hosts at least one themed social event where clients, parents,
community members and employees gather in the spirit of keeping stakeholders engaged and
informed of the organization’s work and impact. The events are organized and planned by a team
of employees who solicit feedback and engage colleagues, volunteers, and clients during the
planning process.
Each of the gestures previously referenced correspond with what research findings
indicate are comparable to what employees associate with feeling they are cared about and
supported at work (Buckingham & Coffman, 1999; Hargreaves, Boyle & Harris, 2014; Lambert
& Hogan, 2009; Knapp, Smith & Sprinkle, 2017). Furthermore, the workplace messages and
behaviors outlined reflect kindness, acceptance, encouragement and support (Buckingham &

44
Coffman, 1999; Hargreaves, Boyle & Harris, 2014; Lambert & Hogan, 2009; Knapp, Smith &
Sprinkle, 2017), which are characteristic of the communication that is modeled among
colleagues as well as between colleagues and external stakeholders at HH.
The positive emotional environment of HH is evident in the organization’s physical
space, which is another likely indicator of a positive emotional environment (Chandrasekar,
2011). As suggested by Biner (1992) cues taken from the physical environment can help
reinforce an organization’s image and purpose. Print materials highlighting the organization’s
work and impact often include a bright logo with cheerful images of the organization’s service-
delivery outcomes for youth. Other encouraging and inspiring items (including artwork created
by clients, testimonials, affirmations, and other keepsakes) are displayed to provide visually
appealing messages that are congruent with the organization’s mission.
The organization also dedicates resources to acknowledging and recognizing employees
and clients with tangible items as well as special recognition sentiments. Overall, HH is
intentional about creating physical spaces and a social environment that contribute to optimism,
achievement and a sense of emotional well-being in the workplace. As a result, the
organization’s outcomes can likely be attributed to the positive emotional connections employees
have to their work as well as to their team members (Buckingham & Coffman, 1999;
Hargreaves, Boyle & Harris, 2014; Lambert & Hogan, 2009; Knapp, Smith & Sprinkle, 2017).

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Table 3. Motivational Influences and Motivational Influence Assessments

Organization
Clark and Estes (2008) assert that functional work processes and access to
material resources are necessary for helping individuals and teams achieve organizational
performance goals (p.104). Within the physical and social workplace environment, Rueda (2011)
attributes structures, polices and human interactions as features that have lasting implications on
how people perform at work (p. 52). Although each of these features are common across the
landscape of an organization, it is the individual development and contributions of people over
time that critically shape thoughts, feelings and behaviors associated with the organizational
culture (Clark and Estes, 2008, p. 108; Rueda, 2011, p. 54). According to expectancy value
theory, people within in an organization may have different goals but can be motivated by four
Organizational Mission
The mission of HH focuses on opening doors of opportunity for the individuals who come to the
organization’s attention.
Organizational Global Goal
Provide community-based resources and support to youth referred to HH.
Stakeholder Goal
Continue providing services that help at least 90% of the youth who participate in HH to
complete juvenile probation without committing a new offense.
Assumed Motivation Influences
(Choose 2)
Motivational Influence Assessment

Self-efficacy: Service-delivery team has
confidence in their ability to effectively respond
to the needs of the youth who are referred to the
program, as evidence by the development of an
Individual Support Plan and documentation of
their interactions with youth.

Questionnaire and focus group responses to
examine the degree of positive self-efficacy
expressed about work skills
Expectancy value: Service-delivery team is
motivated to build rapport and develop an alliance
with youth and their parents or guardians because
they know these are essential components to
encouraging positive behavioral changes.

Questionnaire and focus group responses to
examine what thoughts, beliefs, or
experiences are tied to the value of the work
performed

46
achievement values: attainment value (importance), intrinsic value (task enjoyment), expectancy
value (future benefits) and cost (consequences or amount of effort) (Eccles, 2006).
While there are different perspectives among scholars on the definition of organizational
culture, there is a more widely accepted notion that it involves how people interpret and respond
in either adaptive or maladaptive ways to change their performance at work (Clark and Estes,
2008; Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001; Rueda, 2011). Two core concepts that impact
organizational culture are cultural models and cultural settings (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001;
Schein, 2004; Clark & Estes, 2008). Cultural models consist of conscious and unconscious
thoughts or ideas, and help determine how an organization will structure its norms, practices, and
policies (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001; Rueda, 2011). Cultural models progressively develop
over time as individuals learn, grow, adapt or change to meet workplace demands or achieve
performance goals (Schein, 2004). With the application of expectancy value theory to the
cultural models of organizations, it can be concluded that cultural models determine how each of
the achievement values previously mentioned (attainment value, intrinsic value, expectancy
value and cost) are facilitated to promote an organizational culture that is conducive to achieving
outcomes aligned with performance benchmarks (Eccles, 2006).
Unlike cultural models, cultural settings are the more tangible examples of what people
value (Clark & Estes, 2008). Cultural settings are often demonstrated by what people hear, see
and experience within an organization (Rueda, 2011). However, cultural models allow people to
attach meaning to the cultural settings they encounter. Therefore, the relationship between
cultural models and cultural settings within an organization is dynamic and interactive rather
than static or constant (Rueda, 2011, p. 57 - 58).

47
As an organization, HH strives to respond to the presenting challenges and struggles of
juvenile justice- involved youth by creating a therapeutic community where hardships are
transformed into hope through the type of reciprocal relationship Rueda (2011) describes
between cultural models and cultural settings (p. 57 - 58). The extent to which an organization is
able to implement planned interventions is particularly influenced by the way in which resources
are leveraged through collaboration and funding (Nelson, Jolivette, Leone & Mathur, 2010;
Shufelt, Cocozza, & Skowyra, 2010). At HH, the organization’s mission helps define the cultural
models that guide how resources are acquired and disseminated among the service-delivery
team. It is suspected that the cultural settings resulting from HH’s cultural models influence how
the service-delivery team attaches meaning and purpose to their work.
Consistent with expectancy value theory, it is inferred that when the service-delivery
team of HH is able to correlate content they are learning to other important tasks, they are more
likely to invest mental effort and persist at those tasks because of the value they place on the
knowledge they are acquiring (Eccles, 2006). Professional development and training is provided
by HH to reiterate how and why members of the service-delivery team will be supported in
planning and implementing strength-based interventions that promote positive youth
development and reduce reoffending. Built on the founding principles of helping young people
achieve dignity and respect through creating opportunities and improving their quality of life,
HH’s cultural settings are consistent with its cultural models. The organization carefully screens
and selects team members for service-delivery positions based on each candidate’s ability to
convey how their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities are consistent with the
organization’s cultural models.

48
When candidates are selected to formally join HH as members of the team, they complete
an onboarding process – which typically includes orientation, training and shadowing. Although
onboarding has proven to be an effective strategy for boosting confidence in work skills (Aguinis
& Kraiger, 2009; Bradt & Vonnegut, 2009) at HH, clear goals and realistic expectations are also
key factors that influence performance outcomes (Clark & Estes, 2008) through cultural settings
and models. Therefore, communication and relationship-building are significant to informing
training topics, coaching, and other strategies at HH. Clark & Estes (2008) assert that such
considerations are useful in developing or strengthening individual and team confidence.

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Table 4. Organizational Influences and Organizational Influence Assessments

Organizational Mission
The mission of HH is to initiate and support educational programming and rehabilitative
services for at-risk youth by inspiring and encouraging them to achieve (HH Fact Sheet,
2015).

Organizational Global Goal

Provide community-based resources and support to youth referred to HH.

Stakeholder Goal (If Applicable)

Continue providing services that help at least 90% of the youth who participate in HH to
complete juvenile probation without committing a new offense.
Assumed Organizational Influences

Organization Influence Assessment
Cultural Model Influence 1: Employees of
HH value the organization’s mission.
Use of a questionnaire to survey the service-
delivery team for value alignment with key
components of the organization’s mission.

Cultural Model Influence 2: Employees of
HH value teamwork and collaboration.

Use of a questionnaire to survey the service-
delivery team on level of comfort with team
work and collaboration as well as the
frequency of team and collaborative actions.

Cultural Setting Influence 1: HH has a
referral, enrollment and intake process that
supports the service-delivery team in
planning how to achieve its goal of deterring
youth from committing crime.

Use of responses from a questionnaire and
focus group to determine what supports exist
and are used by the service-delivery team.
Cultural Setting Influence 2: HH provides
material resources that support the service-
delivery team in accessing and implementing
interventions that are consistent with its goal
of deterring youth from committing crime.

Use of responses from a questionnaire and
focus group as well as document analysis to
identify how material resources are
recognized and defined.

50
Conclusion
In conclusion, employees are motivated to reach performance goals when they are
“informed, involved and valued” (Berger, 2014). Organizational leaders must leverage KMO
influences to create experiences in the physical and social environment of the workplace that
encourage employees to achieve performance goals that are aligned with the organization’s
mission and priorities (Knapp, Smith & Sprinkle, 2017). Applying KMO considerations to HH
can help increase understanding of how the organization’s performance outcomes are linked to
the stakeholder’s ability to foster productive interactions among team members, promote a
positive work environment, and attract and retain personnel in key service-delivery positions.
Therefore, HH’s ability to meet its service delivery team’s performance goal of providing
services that deter youth from committing new criminal offenses can be directly linked to the
organization’s sensitivity to KMO influences.
The methodology used to examine the impact on each of the assumed knowledge,
motivation and organizational influences will be discussed further in Chapter 3. The chapter will
explain the sampling technique, selection criteria for the population, sources of data collection,
and an analysis of the data using the six steps described by Creswell (2014, p. 197 - 200).
Through a questionnaire, focus group, and document analysis, the researcher believes that a
qualitative methodological approach could expand academic and professional literature about
how KMO influences impact the role of service-providers’ ability to implement therapeutic
interventions that reduce recidivism among juvenile justice-involved youth.

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CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
The inquiry design for this research is a single case study using qualitative methods to gain
perspectives of a service-delivery team in a non-profit environment and how they respond to
juvenile crime and delinquency. Unlike quantitative and mixed-method approaches that are more
relevant for measuring causal relationships and analyzing numerical data, a qualitative case study
method was deemed most appropriate for this study because it involves an in-depth description
and an investigation of an organization. Questions that will guide the study are as follows:
1. What are the knowledge and motivational factors that influence HH’s service delivery
team’s implementation of promising practices for reducing recidivism?
2. How do knowledge and motivational factors connect to the organization’s practices in
reducing recidivism?
3. What is the interaction between the organizational culture and the juvenile justice system
that contributes to the knowledge and motivation of HH’s service-delivery team?
Through a qualitative approach with a questionnaire, focus group, and analysis of
documents, the researcher aims to uncover themes through questions focused on what and how
practices in juvenile justice may be advanced to encourage young offenders toward paths for
altering a trajectory into the adult criminal justice system and instead achieve healthy and
productive life outcomes. This chapter will highlight: the stakeholder group that is the focus of
the study, the survey sampling criterion and rationale, data collection methods, and the
researcher’s approach to data analysis.
Participating Stakeholders
Hardships to Hope (HH) is the pseudonym for the organization that was selected as the
subject of this study. The organization was selected because it is a national community-based

52
non-profit organization that dedicates resources to local communities for providing services to
juvenile justice-involved youth, and it has an established reputation for reducing recidivism of
youth on probation. HH’s service-delivery team is the stakeholder of focus for this study. The
service-delivery team consists of the individuals who work currently or have had recent
experiences within the organization working directly with youth and their caregivers, family
members, probation officers and others who have an active role in providing or potentially
providing support to juvenile justice-involved youth.
While members of HH’s service-delivery team consists of volunteers, contractors, and
employees, the participants for this study were selected from individuals who have worked in the
juvenile justice component of the program for at least one year. This stakeholder criteria was
developed because HH’s mission and public records provide information about the
organization’s therapeutic philosophy, but does not capture how the asset of the organization’s
service-delivery team is a key factor in performance goal achievement.
Questionnaire Sampling Criterion and Rationale
With the use of a purposeful sampling technique, the target sample for this study was
twenty-one of the thirty-four staff members who were randomly selected from HH’s service-
delivery team. This sample size is consistent with the literature on qualitative research, which
indicates that the size of the sample should be adequate enough to answer research questions
(Creswell, 2014). The rationale for the deliberate, purposeful sample selection of HH’s service-
delivery team is that they have the most interaction with the youth who are the subject of the
organization’s mission, and are critical to testing the theoretical underpinnings of the value of
implementing strength-based, therapeutic approaches with a trauma-informed lens to promote
positive youth development among juvenile justice-involved youth. Furthermore, the rationale

53
for selecting only individuals who were full-time employees of the organization is that they are
likely to be more available and accessible informants about knowledge, motivational and
organizational factors that influence the degree to which HH’s therapeutic philosophy is applied
in their work with juvenile justice-involved youth. The study consisted of data collection from
electronic questionnaires, one focus group, and document analysis.
Questionnaire (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
Relationship-building. As noted by Gul and Ali (2010), relationship building is
important during the recruitment stage of a study. According to Maxwell (2014), informal
contacts can enhance a research study (p.90). Therefore, the researcher gained access to the
organization through an initial introductory email and completed subsequent conference calls
with organizational leaders. Submission of a formal application for conducting research with the
organization resulted in the researcher entering an agreement with the organization for access to
employees and organizational information. Participants targeted for this study did not have an
existing professional relationship with the researcher and were engaged through a recruitment
process that involved collaboration with organizational leaders. Candidates for the study were
contacted at work and provided a formal announcement about the study as well as informed of
the value they could bring to the topic. Each participant was informed that participation in the
study was voluntary and there would not be any workplace consequences for their decision to
participate or not participate in the study.
Collaboration and Incentives. Working collaboratively with research participants is an
effective strategy for generating information that will help answer the research questions
(Maxwell, 2014, p. 92). Therefore, the researcher’s interest in meaningful collaboration with the
research participants was also conveyed during the initial announcement. Another consideration

54
for recruiting study participants was providing incentives to compensate them for their time and
inconvenience (Maxwell, 2017, p. 94). Each potential participant was notified during the initial
announcement that everyone who participates in the study will have the option to enter a random
drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card.
Participants who agreed to participate in the study contacted the researcher by email with
an informed consent acknowledgement. Upon agreeing to the informed consent, participants
received information about accessing and completing a questionnaire. They were also informed
that participants who completed the survey would potentially receive an invitation to participate
in a focus group. A sample of eight from the individuals who completed the questionnaire were
invited to participate in the focus group. A total of six participants participated in the focus group
and the researcher met with two organizational leaders who provided additional information.
Criterion and Rationale for Document Analysis
Organizational documents and materials and information made available to the public are
common sources of data in qualitative studies. As mentioned by Merriam and Tisdell (2016), just
as with interviews and observations, analysis of documents and artifacts can add value to a
qualitative study (p. 175). With research questions focused on the “what” and “how” aspects of
HH’s service-delivery practices, documents and artifacts will help with making meaning of the
service-delivery team’s efforts to outcomes, gain a better understanding of specific approaches
implemented, and possibly develop other empirical insights.
As noted by Atkinson and Coffey (1997), content discovered through document analysis
can help formulate “social facts,” which can be used to inform the research questions. For the
purpose of this study, the researcher accessed and systematically evaluated the following:
website, media content, reports, and the organization’s promising practices toolkit. Discoveries

55
made by the researcher from document analysis were corroborated with findings from
questionnaires, a focus group, and the literature that identified assumed knowledge, motivation
and organizational influences as a process to triangulate the data. Consistent with research
methods literature, triangulation adds credibility, reduces bias, strengthens interpretations, and
enhances understanding of deeper meanings (Creswell, 2014, p. 201; Eisner, 1997, p. 110;
Maxwell, 2013, p. 102 – 103; Merriam & Tidsdell, p. 244 – 245; Patton, 1990).
Data Collection and Instrumentation
The data collection methods selected for this study were analysis of organizational
documents and artifacts, a questionnaire, and a focus group. The data collection methods were
carefully chosen to achieve the goals of learning about the qualities and practices of the
organization’s service-delivery team; and how those qualities and practices contribute to 90% of
youth (who participate in the organization’s comprehensive outreach program) completing
juvenile probation without committing a new offense. A key consideration in the method
selected for this study related to the organization’s designation as a promising practice in
juvenile justice. As a result, a qualitative case study design was identified as an approach to
uncover how knowledge, motivational and organizational factors influence the stakeholder
group’s achievement of its performance goal (Merriam and Tisdell, 2016).
Creswell (2014) asserts that researchers should respect potential power imbalances (p.
98), and this was an important consideration in the researcher approaching potential participants
as a peer and colleague with shared experience in working with youth who have been involved in
the juvenile justice system. The researcher was sensitive to the roles of participants of the study
and allowed themes and knowledge to naturally emerge from the research questions without
creating barriers that were distracting, uncomfortable or confusing for the participants (Greene,

56
2014). The researcher understood the importance of applying rigorous thinking in a way that was
consistent with the professional and ethical standards of the researcher’s professional identity as
a master’s level social worker (MSW) and licensed professional counselor with a supervisor
credential (LPC - S). Therefore, the data collection methods selected were with ethical
considerations of reducing status and role boundaries between the subjects and researcher. As
suggested by Creswell (2014), codes of ethics from professional associations are useful sources
to consult for guidance on research activities, particularly as related to mitigating ethical
dilemmas and creating solutions (p. 95).
Questionnaire and Focus Group
The questionnaire that was administered to the subjects of this study included open-ended
questions that provided them an opportunity to openly share their ideas and opinions about the
knowledge, motivational and organizational influences that contribute to how and why they
achieve their performance goal. Administration of the questionnaire for this study was self-
administered and provided to participants through a web-based format. A total of 37questions
were deemed appropriate for the survey, which was sufficient for the boundaries of the study and
the topics that are important to the research questions (Fink, 2013). As noted by Irwin and
Stafford (2016), identifying existing surveys and relevant items from those surveys can help
researchers in constructing questions. In addition to scholarly literature, questions from an
existing survey supported the content developed for the researcher’s questionnaire protocol.
Considering the conceptual framework connected to the research topic, it was important
for the researcher to identify questions that could gather information about cultural settings and
cultural models that have knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences on the
stakeholder’s performance goal. Therefore, for the questionnaire presented (Appendix A),

57
questions from the Strength-based Perspective Survey and the Organizational Social Context
Survey were used or modified to create the survey instrument. A focus group was also conducted
to probe further into the perspectives shared by the service-delivery team and allow for
participants to elaborate on thoughts or ideas. Appendix B provides an overview of the protocol
used for the focus group.
Documents and Artifacts
Content gathered from documents and artifacts helped the researcher with gathering
factual content from multiple angles that were less obtrusive and reactive than interviews or
observations (Creswell, 2014, pp. 182 – 183). In addition to consulting public records, the
researcher requested additional information from internal documents and artifacts. With the use
of document analysis as a data collection method, identifying relevant materials was the first step
(Merriam and Tisdell, 2016, p. 175). As outlined in Appendix C, for the purpose of gathering
relevant documents to help answer the research questions, the following documents were
consulted: reports, newsletters, articles, website, media content, and (Creswell, 2014, p. 190).
Documents that were available to the public and accessed by the researcher were secured
from the organization’s website, media content, reports, and the organization’s promising
practices toolkit. For proprietary reasons, the researcher was not provided with access to copies
of documentation associated with record-keeping practices or any service-delivery forms. The
documents that were identified for this study align with the conceptual framework because they
provided insight into how cultural settings and cultural models have a direct relationship on
knowledge and motivational factors that influence the stakeholder’s services and programs. The
researcher developed descriptive categories for coding and organizing data around constructed
themes relevant to the research questions (Merriam and Tisdell, 2016, p. 179). However, as the

58
data collection process unfolded, the research was open to other categories or themes that
emerged (Creswell, 2014, p. 186).
Data Analysis
As noted by Creswell (2014), qualitative research focuses on discovering patterns or
themes that emerge from the data (p. 196 – 197). For the purpose of this study, qualitative data
analysis included an interpretation of questionnaire responses and a review of documents, where
common themes or patterns were identified. The researcher wrote analytic memos throughout
the data collection process to document thoughts, concerns, and initial conclusions about the data
in relation to the conceptual framework and research questions. After analytic memos were
drafted, the researcher wrote additional notes and highlighted words or phrases that begin to
emerge (Maxwell, 2013, p. 105).
In the first phase of analysis, the researcher looked for patterns and themes using open
coding. Microsoft Word and Excel were used by the researcher as a tool to help code patterns
and themes, create graphic displays, and conduct searches within the data (Creswell, 2014, p.
201; Maxwell 2013, p. 115 – 116; Merriam and Tisdell, 2016, p. 224 – 225). The researcher used
frequency tables to track common key words or phrases that emerged from questionnaire
responses and documents. The next phase of analysis included analytic/axial coding that was
derived from specific categories of empirical and a prior codes (Creswell, 2014, p. 206). In the
last phase of the data analysis, the researcher gained an in-depth understanding of the data in
relation to the conceptual framework and research questions. Data sets were created and grouped
into categories based on information that was relevant for answering each of the research
questions (Maxwell, 2013, p. 112).

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Credibility and Trustworthiness
Maintaining credibility and trustworthiness throughout the research process is significant
to the outcome of a study being useful in a field of practice or future research (Merriam and
Tisdell, 2016, p. 238). In an effort to identify key knowledge, motivational and organizational
influences that contribute to the stakeholder group’s ability to meet their performance goal, the
researcher applied the following techniques to capture valid data: challenged bias, consulted with
other researchers, recorded field notes in a journal and used them for reflection and during
consultation, triangulated data, and applied rigorous thinking and reflection to all phases of the
study.
Control for Bias
There are several personal and professional experiences of the researcher that are
important to disclose as it relates to bias. The researcher is aware of being in close geographical
proximity and having professional associations in some of the communities where the
organization under investigation provides services. However, the researcher has not been
directly involved with the organization.
The researcher has over 15 years working in the field of juvenile justice, with over 10 of
those year as the executive director of a non-profit organization that uses similar practices as the
organization under investigation. Additionally, as an MSW, licensed professional counselor with
a supervisor credential, and an instructor of social work, the researcher was careful not to make
assumptions or dismiss insights based on past professional or practical experiences. The
researcher used an existing knowledge of professional practice to reduce premature perceptions
and ideas about the physical and social environment of the organization.

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Since the research questions for this study are specific to knowledge, motivational and
organizational influences, the researcher used several strategies to counter subjectivity. The
researcher relied on scholarly literature, items on existing valid surveys and findings from
document analysis to create the questions for the qualitative questionnaire from credible sources.
Once the questionnaire protocol was created, experienced researchers were consulted to review
questions on the questionnaire protocol for any issues with leading questions or questions that
reflect any predispositions of the researcher. Based on the research questions, the questionnaire
items were deemed appropriate.
In qualitative research, the researcher serves as the primary instrument for collecting and
analyzing data (Merriam and Tisdell, 2016, p. 16). As a result, the researcher is vulnerable to
subjectivity due to personal interests, and this may cause the researcher’s beliefs, views and
preconceived ideas about the topic to influence how it is studied (Merriam and Tisdell, 2016, p.
16 - 17). Rather than dismiss the fact that researcher bias is a significant consideration in
qualitative studies, researchers can enhance the trustworthiness and credibility of studies by
identifying current or potential biases, and then implementing strategies to monitor and minimize
such biases (Creswell, 2014, p. 202; Maxwell, 2013, p. 124; Merriam and Tisdell, 2016, p. 16 -
17). As an integral part of the research process, the researcher in this study controlled for bias as
well as the rank or position differences between the researcher and participants by adhering to
ethical research standards of being non-judgmental, maintaining confidentiality and anonymity
of participants, and empowering participants’ to share their thoughts and ideas in a non-
threatening environment.

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Journaling, Reflection and Consultation
As suggested by Moon (1999) and Raelin (2000), journaling is a helpful tool to support
reflection. Throughout the inquiry process, the researcher completed written reflections that were
recorded in a journal and two experienced researchers served as consultants. The role of the
experienced researchers were to ask questions as well as provide feedback and critique about
whether the content collected reflects an accurate representation of the subject in a way that can
be compared and contrasted with scholarly theory on best practices in qualitative research.
Journal entries were coded by the researcher to separate facts from the researcher’s inferences
and interpretations. Consistent with best practices of humble inquiry, as noted by Schein (2013),
the researcher strived to gather data with interest and curiosity to help promote a climate of open
and honest communication.
Triangulation
Another strategy for increasing credibility and trustworthiness of a research study is
triangulation (Creswell, 2014, p. 201; Merriam and Tisdell, 2016, p. 245). In this study, the
researcher used a questionnaire, focus group, and document analysis as the data collection
methods. Triangulation occuured by evaluating content from all data collection methods, the
literature that identified assumed knowledge, motivation and organizational influences, the
researcher’s field notes and cross-checking those findings for consistencies or inconsistencies in
the data. After the sources of information were triangulated, the researcher identified themes that
emerged across data sources to add credibility to the study.
Rigorous Thinking
Patton (2015) discusses the importance of maintaining rigor, competence and integrity
demonstrated in this study by exposing data collection methods to critique as well as reflecting in

62
action and on action, which will help the researcher make critical associations and uncover key
findings that are close as possible to reality or truth (Merriam and Tisdell, 2016, p. 244). In an
effort to achieve high credibility and trustworthiness of the study, the researcher used the above
strategies to engage in a process of rigorous thinking and reflection to challenge and critique
assumptions and interpretations of data collected throughout the study.
Validity and Reliability
In qualitative research, validity and reliability are factors that add strength and credibility
to a study. In the area of validity, the researcher clearly defined the population of interest,
safeguarded against the participants having access to the survey or knowledge about the survey
items prior to its administration, and paid attention to any extraneous events that occur within the
timeframe of the study (Creswell, 2014; Rubin 2013). In the area of reliability, the researcher
ensured that all participants were provided with the same instructions and conditions, related the
variables to the research questions, used procedures to check for response bias, accurately
reported results and disclosed limitations or shortcomings of the study (Creswell, 2014; Rubin,
2013; Salkind, 2017).
Consistent with the position presented by Pazzaglia, Stafford, and Rodriguez (2016)
about survey responses, the researcher believes that the questionnaire responses can provide
insight into the unique characteristics of the population being studied and inform decision-
making. In an effort to ensure that the questionnaire yielded valid and reliable results, the
researcher consulted content experts to confirm that questions measured what they were intended
to measure (Salkind, 2017, pp.168 – 169) and an item analysis was completed.

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Ethics
The purpose of this qualitative research was to study an organization’s performance
related to a larger problem of practice: recidivism of juvenile justice-involved youth. As
suggested by Krueger & Casey (2009), it is beneficial for researchers to invest time in informally
sharing information and discussing their intended research (p. 29). Prior to engaging participants
for the research study, the researcher provided a written announcement to stimulate informal
conversations about the research project. In the written announcement, the researcher explained
the value of each subject’s participation as being able to help further knowledge in the field of
juvenile justice. Additionally, the announcement assured potential participants that there would
not be any workplace consequences or adverse response should they elect not to participate in
the study.
During the data collection process and throughout the study, the researcher had an ethical
responsibility to not harm human subjects and appropriately protect the information they
provided (Glesne, 2011, pp. 162-183; Rubin & Rubin, 2012, p. 89). Therefore, throughout the
study, the researcher maintained ethical standards and professionalism with all participants. The
researcher also took measures to maintain confidentiality of the research participants and the
organization as a whole, as confidentiality breaches, particularly those that occur via deductive
disclosure, warrant careful consideration in qualitative research (Kaiser, 2009). Prior to
implementing any data collection methods or formal interactions with human subjects, the
researcher submitted an application to the University of Southern California Institutional Review
Board (IRB).
After receipt of IRB approval, the researcher began the process of formally collaborating
with the stakeholder group. Informed consent, where participants indicated their agreement to

64
participate in the study by signing a written document that explains the nature of the study,
confidentiality, voluntary participation, and right to withdraw from the study, was reviewed with
each participant involved in the study. According to Glesne (2011), each of these elements are
important to facilitating cooperation and collaboration with research participants (p.166).
An electronically administered, semi-structured questionnaire was submitted to the
organization’s service-delivery team and a focus group and document analysis was conducted in
accordance with the IRB rules and guidelines regarding the protection of the rights and welfare
of the participants in this study. The researcher was sensitive to: minimizing bias, properly
administering the informed consent, timely dissemination of the questionnaire, and collecting
reliable documents for analysis. To maintain privacy and keep data collected from the study
secure, all computers used during the study were protected with passwords, storage devices were
locked, and documents were maintained in a locked storage file.
Throughout the study, the researcher maintained communication with organizational
leaders to provide updates about the response rates for staff participations. In an effort to reduce
barriers to participation, the organization supported employees in adjusting their schedules and
approved for them to complete the informed consent, complete the questionnaire, and participate
in the focus group during their regular work hours. Organizational leaders communicated to
employees that participation was optional and not a requirement of their employment. When
participants completed informed consent, completed the questionnaire and participated in the
focus group, the researcher conveyed verbal and written appreciation to participants for sharing
their thoughts, ideas and expertise. These gestures provide opportunities for participants to have
voice, and were consistent with the approaches that Rubin & Rubin (2012) mention for building
trust, understanding and respect with research subjects.

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Limitations and Delimitations
Limitations and delimitations are factors in research design or methodology that impact
research findings. Some of these factors cannot be controlled by the researcher while others are
directly related to choices the researcher makes (Roberts, 2004, p. 138; Price & Murnan, 2004).
The organization that was the subject of the study is a national non-profit with its main
headquarters located in Texas. The stakeholder group was employees who work on the service-
delivery team of one of the four programs represented in the organization.
The program has a specific focus and priority for reducing recidivism rates among youth
involved in the juvenile justice system. It has received recognition from local, state and federal
government for their ability to implement research-informed practices to improve the well-being
of youth and families in a variety of life domains. However, this study did not explore the
perceived value of the program to the youth, families or community partners who benefit from
the work completed by the service-delivery team.
A common limitation of research in social sciences that is beyond the researcher’s control
and are relevant to this study relate to the degree to which participants are honest, accurate, and
thoughtful in their responses. Individuals who participated in the study were not identified by
name and participation in the study was anonymous. Therefore, these boundaries placed
limitations on the number of individuals who could participate and the perspectives of those who
participated may not be representative of a larger sample. Additionally, with the use of a
questionnaire as a data collection method, subjectivity may result in participants having different
interpretations or perceptions of the questions. Although generalizability is limited to the context
of the study, findings may have implications that could inform future studies.

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Several delimitations were relevant to the boundaries of this study. First, the researcher
selected a sampling frame that consisted of individuals who had at least six months experience
working with youth referred to the organization by local juvenile probation departments. This
sampling frame resulted in the exclusion of volunteers, board members, and clerical positions, as
they typically have less client contact and time constraints that make them less accessible within
the data collection window for the study was more likely. Next, the researcher created the
questionnaire used for the study from an existing measure and after reviewing literature in the
fields of social work, mental health and education. The researcher-constructed questionnaire was
comprised of Likert scaled questions as well as open-ended questions that were field tested and
analyzed by research professionals.
Lastly, there was strong consistency between the responses that related to the KMO
influences reported by the service-delivery team and the juvenile justice literature that
emphasizes the value of therapeutic interventions to promote positive youth development. The
organizational documents that were available from public records also validated the perspectives
of the service-delivery team’s view of how the juvenile justice system is impacted by other
systems, in this case study, a community-based non-profit organization. The trauma-informed,
strength-based, culturally competent model that was credited by the service-delivery team for
promoting positive youth development and reducing recidivism was confirmed in organizational
documents as well as by other governmental agencies who have funded and published
information about the organization’s work and impact.

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CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND FINDINGS
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to uncover knowledge, motivational, and
organizational assets of HH that contribute to promising practices for reducing recidivism among
youth whose lives intersect with the juvenile justice system. Data collection from a questionnaire
administered to 21 representatives of the service-delivery team, a focus group with participation
from six of the service-delivery team members, and secondary sources that consisted of
organizational records, the organization’s website, and publications were analyzed to answer the
research questions below.
1. What are the knowledge and motivational factors that influence HH’s service delivery
team’s implementation of promising practices for reducing recidivism?
2. How do knowledge and motivational factors connect to the organization’s practices in
reducing recidivism?
3. What is the interaction between the organizational culture and the juvenile justice system
that contributes to the knowledge and motivation of HH’s service-delivery team?
Oftentimes in juvenile justice, it is the strength of collaboration and building a network of
support that often help youth and families to improve their lives. The research questions that
guided this study provided an opportunity to demonstrate how a service-delivery team working
in partnership with juvenile probation has operationalized trauma-informed, strength-based
practices to build connections with youth and families.
Beyond knowing what knowledge and motivational factors were influential, it was
equally important to understand the connection of those factors to organizational practices and
tie the organization’s work back to the organizational culture that provides a basis for a strong
relationship with the juvenile justice system. As once observed by Dr. Bruce Perry, a leading

68
researcher in children’s mental health and neuroscience, “Relationships matter: the currency for
systemic change was trust, and trust comes through forming healthy working relationships.
People, not programs, change people” The results and findings of this study are congruent with
this observation, as KMO influences emerged that validated how creating connections built from
healthy relationships help fuel the collaborative efforts that put youth and families on a more
hopeful trajectory for a meaningful quality of life.
Participating Stakeholders
Participating stakeholders in this study consisted of employees working on the service-
delivery team of a national non-profit organization. The service-delivery team consists of a
multi-disciplinary team with employees serving in both paraprofessional and professional roles,
which includes individuals who are clinically licensed in counseling, social work or a related
field. Although some members of the service-delivery team hold undergraduate or graduate
degrees, other employees who work on the service-delivery team have educational backgrounds
that range from a high school diploma or equivalent with 2 years of experience and/or college
hours with experience working with youth. Of the four main programs operated by the
organization, the service-delivery team members who work in the organization’s juvenile justice
program and who had at least one or more years of experience in providing direct services to
youth involved with the juvenile justice system were invited to participate in the study.
A total of 21 respondents completed the questionnaire that was administered by the
researcher. The questionnaire consisted of 37 questions: 33 questions were open-ended, two of
the questions had a Likert scale with an option for open-ended comments, one question had only
a Likert scale, and one was a closed question. As illustrated in Figure 1, 76% of the respondents
were in positions where they currently work directly with youth. The remaining 24% of the

69
participants formerly held direct-service roles and have received promotions where they now
serve in leadership positions on the team. Participation from the entire respondent group
represented 38% of the individuals who completed informed consents and were targeted for this
study. Of those who completed the informed consent and questionnaire, a total of six participated
in a focus group facilitated by the researcher.

Figure 1. Questionnaire Respondents

Table 5 provides an overview of the years of service of the respondents who participated
in the study. A total of 5% had 6 months to 1.5 years of service while 62% had 2 to 10 years of
service. The remaining 14% of respondents had over 10 years of service. Therefore, this group
was well-suited to provide information and insights that related to their contributions toward
knowledge, skills and experiences that enhance the organization’s work and impact.

76%
24%
Questionnaire Respondents
Current Direct Service Role
Past Direct Service/Team Leader

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Table 5. Years of Service Overview

Years of Service Number of Respondents
6 months - 1 year 2
Over 1 year - 1.5 years 3
2 years - 4 years 7
Over 4 years and up to 7 2
8 - 10 years 4
10 years, 9 months 1
16 years 1
18 years 1
TOTAL 21

Results
Each of the data collection methods validated the knowledge and skills, motivation, and
organizational influences. With an established reputation for implementing promising practices
for reducing recidivism among juvenile justice-involved youth, the first research question helped
draw attention to specific knowledge and motivational factors that facilitate hope and optimism
about the futures of the youth they serve. The second research question provided a closer look at
how organizational practices are operationalized to put youth on a trajectory of hope for a
brighter future. The last research questions examined the reciprocal interactions between the
culture within the organization and how that culture permeates into the juvenile justice system to
further enhance the knowledge and motivation of the service-delivery team.

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Knowledge Factors/Results
In relation to the knowledge influences presented and discussed in Chapter 2, it was
assumed that the following knowledge types influenced how members of the organization’s
service-delivery team performed their jobs: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive.
Responses from the questionnaire, information discussed during the focus group, and document
analysis provided insight into specific processes the organization has in place to help the service-
delivery team build on existing knowledge while acquiring and applying new knowledge.
Factual Knowledge
It is well documented in the juvenile justice literature that intake and assessment provide
critical data points necessary to meet the needs of youth. In community-based juvenile justice
organizations, factual knowledge, which Krathwohl (2002) describes as basic information
needed to resolve a particular problem, is provided to organizations by juvenile probation. At
HH, this information is delivered to the organization in the form of a referral that specifies the
reason for the referral and presenting concerns. The assumed influence that related to the service-
delivery team’s knowledge of the needs of youth was confirmed through questionnaire responses
and feedback they shared during the focus group.
Validated Influence: Needs vary. As presented in the frequency distribution of Table 6,
nearly all of the service-delivery team’s open-ended responses for item 4 of the questionnaire
indicated that examining the needs of youth involved consideration of the individual
circumstances of youth and their families. The table provides a summary of categories that
emerged from the comments. One respondent stated, “Every youth has a different story, and until
you’ve walked in their shoes, you don’t know underlying reasons for some decisions that they
make.” Getting to know each young person and their individual struggles was significant in this

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participant “always” feeling confident in being able to treat every client like he or she has the
potential to be successful and do well in the program. Similarly, another survey respondent who
gave a self-rating of “always” feeling confident in being able to treat every client like he or she
has the potential to be successful and do well in the program stated, “I meet families where they
are and this assists with seeing the family’s full potential. Focusing on the family’s strengths and
protective factors.”
Table 6. Comments from Questionnaire Item 4
Consideration for Individual Circumstances Frequency
Consider causes or underlying issues 2
Consider needs, may involve adjusting style 4
Consider strengths and protective factors 6
Consider evidence-based practice 5
No Comment 4
Total 21

These perspectives closely align with research that highlights how protective factors, which
include positive relationships and opportunities, can influence the life course of individuals who
are most at-risk for poor outcomes later in life (Brooks & Goldstein, 2002; Jenson, 2004; Rutter,
1990; Werner & Smith, 1992).
Validated Influence: Dig Deeper. When youth become involved in the juvenile justice
system, their criminal offenses may distract providers from focusing on underlying issues and
needs. One respondent described how seeing youth from a strength-based, trauma-informed lens
can serve as a source of encouragement. This service-delivery team member stated,

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“Regardless of student’s charges, we make it a point to emphasize that we only know
them by what they show us, not by why they were sent here. I look for the positive in
every student so that I can use that to encourage them to make the right choices.”
With consideration of the individual circumstances of youth and their families, it is concluded
that the service-delivery team is driven to collect additional information from youth and families.
The service-delivery team finds value in discovering how the presenting concerns from
juvenile probation relate to underlying issues that are not always stated in the referral but may
come from self-reports from youth and families. One survey respondent stated,
“I work with a diverse group of youth and families that have such different dynamics and
experiences. I approach each family with an individualized support that meets them
where they are…Every person, youth or adult has the potential to grow and develop
continuously.”
Another survey respondent described the extent to which knowing the needs of youth beyond the
information provided on the referral is significant.
This respondent discussed how a 14 year-old male entered the HH program without being
able to read. With an individualized approach, the respondent stated,
“With the help of staff, we helped set a service plan tailored to his needs, which included
learning to read. We were able to find a place that offered classes that helped with his
need. Our staff donated money to this cause, as it was very expensive and the family
could not afford the service. His mentor and our team work[ed] to get him there,
encourage[d] him to keep going, and monitor his progress. With the staff support, this
young man is showing growth and appears to finally see that someone cares. This is what
makes him want to continue.”

Through a process of identifying struggles and strengths of each youth and their families, the
service-delivery team is able to create individualized services and supports with meaningful
goals that are measurable, monitored, and revised when appropriate.

74
Validated Influence: See Potential. While information provided on the referral form
was one source of information to increase the service-delivery team’s knowledge of the needs of
youth, their professional knowledge as well as self-reported data shared with them by youth and
their families was identified as necessary for them to address critical issues and concerns that can
interfere with youth successfully completing juvenile probation. Consistent with established
research, HH’s service-delivery team is knowledgeable of the fact that juvenile justice-involved
youth are some of the most vulnerable citizens in their communities. This baseline knowledge
enhances how they respond to the needs of youth. One participant noted in a survey response,
“I try to encourage each client by letting them know that they have the potential to make
good decisions and to make what got them in trouble a learning experience. They also
can use the situation as a stepping stone to help move in the right direction.”

This approach aligns with the organization’s trauma-informed strength-based model and allows
the service-delivery team to identify strategies for redirecting youth toward prosocial experiences
and opportunities that increase resilience. Another indicator of the service-delivery team’s
perspective about the need for youth to have opportunities was presented in a comment of a
survey respondent who expressed the importance of “every child” having a fair opportunity to
succeed.
Validated Influence: Consider hardships. Reports from the service-delivery team
indicated that when youth are referred to HH, issues associated with past hardships, adverse
histories, and other problems are present and often have been insufficiently addressed by other
systems (Herz & Ryan, 2008; Mallett, 2010; McCarter, Haber, & Kazemi, 2010). Before
considering the reason for the referral, the service-delivery has the general knowledge that many
of the youth who are referred to them have experienced childhood adversity. When referrals are

75
reviewed, this reality is often confirmed along with significant risk factors that contribute to
juvenile recidivism.
Taxing stressors that the service-delivery team reported from survey responses and
during focus group discussion were significant for youth and families can be summarized into
five main categories.
1. Unhealthy attachment patterns, which included: “absent parents,” “lack of nurturing
caregiver,” “family discord,” and “intrapersonal distress.”
2. Trauma histories, which included: “childhood trauma,” exposure to traumatic events,
“childhood abandonment,” and “childhood abuse.”
3. Social issues, which included: economic struggles, “poverty,” “sexual promiscuity,”
involvement with “gangs” and negative peer associations, weak social ties, victimized
through “trafficking,” and child welfare involvement.
4. Mental health struggles, which included: “substance abuse,” “anxiety,” “depression,”
“oppositional defiance,” “post-traumatic stress,” and “ADHD” [attention-
deficit/hyperactivity].
5. Unmet basic needs, which included: “homelessness,” “unstable housing,” “inadequate
transportation,” and food shortages or limited access to healthy meals.
The service-delivery team recognizes how these issues impact youth in their physical and social
environment. With this knowledge, trauma-informed, strength-based approaches help the
service-delivery team activate interactions where youth, family, school, peers, community assets,
and other sources of support can be engaged.
One focus group participant stated, “Finding them [youth] community support, teaching
them positive decision-making skills, and coping skills are things they can practice on their

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own.” This respondent further discussed how taking the time to teach youth new skills allows
youth to transfer what they learn to other areas of their life while enrolled in the program and
once they leave the program. The service-delivery team was attuned to the need for youth to feel
that the HH organization had their best interest and understood their struggles.
During the focus group, service-delivery team members discussed that many of the youth
they serve lack “stability.” As a result, one focus group participant stated, “It makes it harder for
them to comply and do what they need to do a lot of times. I think they reoffend because at least
[in juvenile detention] they have stability.” As a solution, one focus group participant discussed
how the HH program dedicates resources to “figure out what’s going on with the parents…….it
takes a lot of just listening to them.” The focus group participants expressed how supporting
youth and their families helps meet their needs and increases their desire to succeed.
Another focus group participant discussed the value in advocating on behalf of youth.
This participant explained how they developed a system to help the juvenile court judges better
understand their model:
“What we started doing and really worked is maintaining contact with judges and making
sure they were fully informed of what the model looks like and how much time we need.
So instead of giving them 30 days, giving us more time to work with them and the
family.”

With continued discussion about the importance of viewing technical violations as part of the
process for behavior change rather than viewing youth as uncooperative, the service-delivery
team agreed that technical violations provide opportunities for youth to learn how to apply what
they are learning in the program to correct their behavior and practice new skills.
One participant again added, “It’s working with the judges and making sure they
understand the model……they [youth] are already like one violation from being in detention so
we need to give them [youth] time to practice.” With compassionate and understanding

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responses to youth struggles, unnecessary juvenile detention stays are avoided. Creative
problem-solving and partnering with juvenile court judges has allowed the service-delivery team
to help youth practice skills they are learning from the service-delivery team while building hope
that they can improve their lives.
Validated Influence: Frequent and on-going support. Focus group participants
described some of the activities that they find encouraging to youth and their families. One
participant stated, “Case managers will pick them [youth] up and drop them off. We provide
food for them [youth and families]….dinner is another incentive for them to show up.” Another
focus group participant stated, “I make daily phone calls to parents.” The topics of the phone
calls may cover a broad range of topics, including those that relate to progress in school and
unmet needs. With sensitivity to the needs of youth, focus group participants added that “home
visits, bus passes or whatever it takes” is worth the effort for youth and families to feel
supported.
As noted in a publication produced by the organization, “Case managers know the
families very well and were able to identify some of their current needs. Families need help with
utility bills, food, and cleaning supplies. The basic necessities of living.” This document also
discussed how the organization values being promptly responsive to the needs of youth and their
family members. In addition to routine daily home and school visits, service-delivery team
members serve on the organization’s crisis response team to further meet the needs of youth and
families by providing “24 hours, 7 days a week” responses to calls for services or assistance.
Overall, factual knowledge helps the service-delivery gather information for informed
decision-making. They are aware that factual knowledge is relevant and necessary to developing
an understanding of what youth and families need and how to best support them. As a result of

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factual knowledge, the service-delivery team is able to formulate service plans that are culturally
competent, trauma-informed, strength-based based, and developmentally appropriate in
addressing the complex and diverse needs of youth and their families.
Conceptual Knowledge
The knowledge that guides how the service-delivery team addresses the complex and
diverse needs of youth is articulated in the form of an individual service plan (ISP) and by
subsequent actions. Conceptual knowledge goes beyond basic information and is what
contributes to the service-delivery team’s reputation of being able to use factual information and
combine it with their professional judgement to understand specific concepts and potential
solutions (Krathwohl, 2002). The assumed influence that referenced the significance of the ISP
in demonstrating the service-delivery team’s conceptual knowledge of how to promote positive
youth development and engage team members in activities that support the ISP was confirmed
through the questionnaire responses the service-delivery team provided, feedback they shared
during the focus group as well as from documents and artifacts. Conceptual knowledge helps the
service-delivery team to anticipate as well as meet the needs of youth.
Validated Influence: Research-informed practice. Foundational principles of the
service-delivery team’s conceptual knowledge helps them with sequencing and prioritizing tasks
to achieve their performance goal of providing services that help youth complete juvenile
probation without committing a new offense. According to the organization’s website, HH seeks
to hire individuals who are passionate, mission-driven, and committed to caring for youth who
are in challenging circumstances. Screening individuals for these qualities, which align with
those that are necessary for promoting positive youth development, during the pre-employment
process while reinforcing them during onboarding, and through ongoing training sets the

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standard for team members to join the organization with an expectation to use conceptual
knowledge for operationalizing their work with youth. During the on-barding process and with
reinforcement during team meetings and professional development sessions, service-delivery
team members are reminded of the importance of promoting positive youth development through
person-centered, trauma-informed, strength-based approaches that are research-informed.
Although the referral to HH from juvenile probation begins the initial steps for youth
becoming involved in the program, strength-based approaches with a trauma-informed lens
provide the foundation for the service-delivery team to create individualized, culturally
competent service plans that promote safety, support and progress toward desired outcomes in a
variety of life domains. Each ISP is informed by conceptual knowledge and includes client
strengths as well as goals and activities that align with principles of positive youth development.
These key components are guided by the service-delivery team’s conceptual knowledge and
helps inform processes that are necessary for meeting the needs of youth.
Conceptual knowledge helps the service-delivery team better understand how theoretical
and practical underpinnings of research-informed practice and practice-informed research can
help them uncover data and information to guide how they approach each interaction and activity
with youth and their families. During early interactions, the service-delivery team indicated that
they know it is important for youth and families to achieve a sense of perceived safety and trust
while introducing clear expectations and predictable consistency, healthy social connections that
build character qualities and enhance relationships, opportunities for participating in decisions
about how to reach their goals, and strategies for accessing other resources that promote stability,
well-being, and achievement.

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During the focus group and in survey responses, specific strategies that the service-
delivery team reported as being significant in anchoring the organization’s trauma-informed
strength-based model were reflective of how they described sources of conceptual knowledge
that determines how the employ specific interventions and evaluate their practice. Several
respondents confirmed how significant conceptual knowledge is in guiding their decisions and
reactions to the factual knowledge. With conceptual knowledge, the service-delivery team is able
to consider relevant theories, principles, and best practices that are grounded in research to guide
their practice toward desired outcomes and achievement of performance goals. Specific
references made by the service-delivery team and that were clearly articulated to substantiate
their conceptual knowledge included: Principles of Trauma-Informed Care (safety, trust and
transparency, support, collaboration, empowerment, voice, choice, and considerations associated
with culture, history and gender); Wraparound Case Management; Motivational Interviewing
(MI); Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT), which included Dialectical behavior approaches with
mindfulness); Functional Family Therapy (FFT); Positive Behavioral Supports and Interventions
(PBIS); and Gottman’s Relational Theory.
The thoughts and ideas shared by the service-delivery team indicated that they were
informed by conceptual knowledge in the areas of research-informed positive youth development
principles and a theoretically validated strength-based, trauma-informed service-delivery model
that guides their ongoing knowledge of what to do in the service-delivery activities that are
offered to youth and their families. Beyond knowing the needs of the youth and their families,
conceptual knowledge helps them understand how to use theories and best practices to build
resiliency and move youth out of the juvenile justice system and toward productive futures.

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Procedural Knowledge
Procedural knowledge can be summarized as the specific skills, strategies, and techniques
that are used by the service-delivery team and involves using their judgement of when to use
them (Krathwhol, 2002). Reform efforts in juvenile justice have pushed toward practices and
processes that are rehabilitative, developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed (Annie E.
Casey Foundation, 2018; Buffington, Dierkhising & Marsh, 2010; Ford, Chapman, Hawke, &
Albert, 2007; Stewart, 2013). At the heart of this philosophy is that all systems of care that
intersect with the lives of juvenile justice-involved youth should have procedural knowledge
about what to do and how to respond to behaviors that are often driven by self-preservation and
self-defensive methods, where youth attempt to achieve social, emotional, and physical safety
through unhealthy means.
Validated Influence: Trust and safety. At the core of the stakeholder’s work with youth
and their families is the prerequisite of building rapport, establishing a trusting relationship and
creating spaces and interactions that offer safety and support. The assumed influence associated
with knowing how to build rapport and develop an alliance with youth and their parents or
guardians was validated because the service-delivery team viewed this as being relevant at the
onset of services and ongoing throughout program participation. Based on the survey and focus
group responses provided, the service-delivery team attributed relationship-building with
culturally competent, person-centered strategies as essential in all of the tasks they complete to
address underlying issues of juvenile crime and delinquency.
Their position about the importance of relationships is consistent with the Search
Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework. This framework asserts that helping young

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people build healthy relationships is a basic tenet of developmentally appropriate interventions
because,
“After decades of forming hypotheses, conducting surveys, crafting and rewriting
definitions, analyzing data, and writing journal articles, Search Institute researchers and
practitioners have arrived at a surprisingly simple conclusion: nothing—nothing—has
more impact in the life of a child than positive relationships” (Benson, 2010).

Specific techniques, skills, activities and approaches that activate procedural knowledge is
represented in daily job functions of the service-delivery team, including those that relate to
documentation, information-sharing, collaboration across systems, use of community assets for
skill-building and referrals.
Validated Influence: Trauma-informed, strength-based principles guide procedures.
The service-delivery team’s trauma-informed knowledge allows them to see how stress
responses, particularly those that are rooted in trauma histories, may occur on a continuum and
present differently based on the individual circumstances of each youth and family. Responding
to the needs of youth and families with strength-based approaches allows the service-delivery
team to have sensitivity and give attention to how to build on the existing situations. Although
the organization has specific procedures for completing certain tasks, the service-delivery model
is grounded in key elements that allow for flexibility and adjustments to how trauma-informed
strength-based approaches are delivered. For example, an organizational document cited daily
home visits, individual and group counseling for members within the household of each youth,
and coordination with other providers and referrals are part of the service-delivery model.
However, the services are individualized in “partnership with youth and their families.”
Due to the proprietary nature of the organization’s work, step-by-step procedures that are
completed were not disclosed. However, the service-delivery team described specific “phases” of
the HH model and “goals” that the organization's model uses to help them focus on identifying

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and reinforcing "strengths and protective factors." One survey responded noted, “You have to
know that every youth is different. You cannot expect to have the same from one youth to the
next….Make sure that the youth is the one that is driving their goals and you are there to
support.” Overall, the service-delivery team’s approach helps youth recognize they have value
and brings attention to how they can build on what they already know and what they already
have to construct a brighter future.
Survey respondents expressed a high level of confidence in their ability to treat every
client like they have the potential to be successful and do well. As illustrated in Figure 2, a total
of 57% of the respondents replied "always" and an additional 38% of the respondents responded
"almost always."

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Figure 2. Likert Responses from Questionnaire Item 4

This is an indicator that the service-delivery team has the necessary knowledge to operationalize
the organization's strength-based model into practice.
With an understanding of procedural knowledge, the service-delivery team is able to
document their efforts and track outcomes in a data management system. According to an
organizational document, the data management system is used to capture and track service-
delivery activities. Specific documentation procedures are completed by the service-delivery
team and this provides a reference for the organization’s quality assurance team to export data
for review, feedback and recommendations.
Procedural knowledge provides the service-delivery team with an accountability system
that monitors the integrity of the organization’s strength-based, trauma-informed model. Through
documentation and record-keeping, the service-delivery team is able to demonstrate how they are
transferring knowledge into practice. Fidelity checks of procedural knowledge helps raise
awareness to inform areas of improvement and reinforce areas of strength. While procedural
57%
38%
5%
Q4. Questionnaire Responses
Always Almost Always Sometimes

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knowledge can be used to retain current practices, it can also promote continued learning and
growth within the organization through metacognitive practices that can help the service-delivery
to actively self-monitor and reflect on opportunities to apply insights to future action plans.
Metacognitive Knowledge
Insights from metacognitive knowledge can help individuals increase awareness of their
strengths as well as areas where they may need to further grow or learn (Kratwohl, 2002). The
assumed knowledge influence of the service-delivery team’s ability to engage in reflection about
their practice was validated in the team’s ability to demonstrate how they reflected and explained
why specific techniques, skills, activities and approaches worked best and had positive outcomes
with the youth they served. Survey and focus group responses along with document analysis
were sources of data that provided supporting evidence of the service-delivery team’s
metacognitive knowledge.
Reflective in Practice. Metacognitive knowledge was confirmed through questionnaire
responses, a focus group and document analysis that provided evidence of how the service-
delivery team participates in reflection to guide decisions in their work. Within their work
environment, the service-delivery team incorporates reflective practices from their individual
work activities as well as from work they complete collaboratively with internal and external
stakeholders. The HH organization has standards of practices that promote reflection.
Documenting interactions with clients and discussing possible plans of actions and/or future
interactions provides time for members of the service-delivery team to personally reflect on their
work prior to formal meetings.
Validated Influence: Reflections from meetings. Based on reports from the service-
delivery team’s survey and focus group responses, each week the service-delivery team has

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dedicated time to meet individually with supervisors and team members. These meetings are
guided by an agenda that allows for thinking in the moment, reflection and discussion about
strengths, struggles, and other issues that provide opportunities to learn from past experiences
and plan future actions or activities. The personal and collaborative methods of reflection that
were described by the service-delivery team allow for regular and ongoing identification of
specific challenges and successes that help guide decisions about how to best dedicate time and
resources to problem-solving and/or to proactively preventing problems from occurring or
escalating.
Validated Influence: Reflections from feedback. Another source of information for
reflection that was identified by the service-delivery team came from soliciting feedback from
youth, families, juvenile probation and other key stakeholders. One of the organization’s
published documents indicated, that reflection on formal feedback through “regular client and
family satisfaction surveys” has helped the organization pivot or revise how the needs of youth
and families are met. Data collection from surveys, conversations, and other formal and informal
methods, including observations and listening, allow the service-delivery team to acquire
information about the perceptions of their efforts and actions. Reflecting on data and information
from various sources has resulted in the service-delivery team’s use of testimonials. The service-
delivery team shares personal testimonials as well as those they receive from youth, families, and
juvenile probation staff. Specific reflections on feedback provided from youth, families, and
juvenile probation is used by the service-delivery team to advocate for the best interest of youth
and families.
Validated Influence: Reflections from professional development. Through survey and
focus group responses, the service-delivery team expressed an appreciation for the organization’s

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interest in their professional growth and development. Reflection is a component of professional
development sessions that allow the service-delivery team to think about their work and learn
how to improve or enhance their existing efforts. Completing written reflections after
professional development sessions allows the service-delivery team to provide feedback about
their training experience and think about next steps.
Validated Influence: Reflections from performance reviews and audits. Next, the
service-delivery team’s performance reviews provide another method of reflective practice. With
ongoing dialogue and feedback through individual and team meetings, the service-delivery team
is positioned to use performance reviews as a tool to for learning and growth. One survey
respondent indicated, it is helpful that the organization invests in providing a “Performance
Evaluation Coordinator” that discuss their performance and provide data that ensures
“accountability of staff.” Another survey participant stated, “I have learned to love audits…it
catches mistakes and I have plenty of time to fix it before reports are due or before files are
requested [from funding sources]. That’s it…..alot of internal audits, some weekly, and some
monthly.” Among the methods of reflection, the performance reviews and audits were identified
as the most formal reflective practices of the service-delivery team that holds them accountable
and contributes to their ability to maintain a high level of quality in their work.
Validated Influence: Accreditation Reflection. One final notable indicator that helped
substantiate metacognitive knowledge of the service-delivery team is related to the reflective
processes that are involved in the organization’s national accreditation with the Council of
Accreditation (COA). According to a document analysis of a report published by the
organization, members of the service-delivery team contributed to an “18-month process of self-
reflection.” The service-delivery team’s contributions helped HH prepare to stay in compliance

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with nationally recognized standards of best practices. The document further described how
COA evaluates the entire organization “from management to direct client care staff.” The
evaluation helped inform data-driven decisions as well as the organization’s quality
improvement practices, which the document notes has “empowered staff” and increased
efficiency.
Motivational Factors/Results
In relation to the motivational influences presented and discussed in Chapter 2, it was
assumed that two influences, self-efficacy and expectancy value, help move the service-delivery
team toward desired outcomes. Both influences were validated through responses provided from
a questionnaire as well as information discussed during a focus group. These protocols provided
insight into specific factors where motivation is driven by confidence in the work the service-
delivery team performs as well as their perceived value of the tasks they believe inspire positive
changes in the youth they serve.
Self-efficacy
As it relates to self-efficacy, the service-delivery team demonstrated confidence in their
ability to effectively respond to needs of the youth who are referred to the program. Based on
data provided in survey and focus group responses, the service-delivery team expressed a strong
degree of positive efficacy about their work skills. Key influences on the service-delivery team’s
self-efficacy were guided by having an understanding of the organization’s purpose and having
personal beliefs that aligned with the organization’s clear mission. An emotional context for self-
efficacy was evidenced by survey and focus group respondents who reported a sense of
enjoyment, fulfillment, “happiness,” and “love” for their work.

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Sources of confidence in work skills were connected to themes of meaningful work,
growth mindset, and information-seeking, which underscores the acquisition of skills that
improve or enhance the service-delivery team’s competence and were connected to the effort and
persistence with work tasks as well as with creative problem-solving. The organization’s mission
and the trauma-informed, strength-based model that provide professional standards of practice
for the service-delivery team sets the tone and expectation for everyone to have a role in
contributing to improving the quality of life of the vulnerable youth they serve. The professional
standards of practice also inform the service-delivery team of the importance of their role in
fulfilling the organization’s mission.
Validated Influence: Meaningful Work. Most of the service-delivery team expressed
that their employment with HH is more than a job. They view their roles in the organization with
deep and personal meaning that drives how they positively perceive their work and contribute to
performance goals. Although they described difficulties that make their work challenging and
stressful at times, they saw their efforts as being worthwhile and part of a much more significant
process for themselves and others to learn and grow. One survey respondent stated, “I know
some view this population as difficult and challenging, but I expected the challenge and gladly
accept it everyday.” During the focus group discussion, participants shared their thoughts on
what helps them to persist when times are difficult. One participant stated, “For me it is the
connection I’ve made with a lot of my co-workers here. We use a lot of humor over here, light-
hearted because we often deal with very heavy situations.” Another participant expressed how
the purpose behind the work outweighs the struggles. This participant stated, “The purpose of
why we do what we do….it’s a nice reminder to each other. We’re here because we genuinely
care about these kids and want them to do better.”

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Some participants also described long-term benefits of persisting through tough times.
One focus group participant stated, “We really enjoy when we get to see those kids that come to
visit and tell us, hey, look, this is what I’ve done. So you know, it kind of makes you want to
think about it. You don’t want to miss a day when we might see one of our students come back
and express their accomplishments.” Another survey response that highlighted long-term
benefits stated, “The work we do with our youth. Seeing their successes, even the smallest of
achievements is rewarding. When I started here, this was a small organization, but has seen
tremendous growth over the last 10 years I have been here…Everyone is like a family. We
support each other and work really well as a team. It’s nice to enjoy what you do and who you
work with.”
The service-delivery team expressed a high degree of satisfaction in seeing how their
work contributes to positive outcomes for youth and families. They expressed sentiments in the
survey and focus group that included “we get to,” “happiness,” “love seeing kids succeed,”
“amazing,” “its rewarding,” “absolutely satisfying,” “encouraging,” “supportive,” and other
positive affective responses. Research has shown that positive emotions and attitudes toward
work, has a number of benefits, including those that relate to wellness, citizenship behaviors,
creative problem-solving, skill-building, developing resources, innovation, and resiliency (Algoe
& Fredrickson, 2011; Cameron, 2008; Fredrickson, 1998). It can be concluded that the meaning
and value that employees find in their work is closely tied to their positive self-efficacy.
Validated Influence: Growth Mindset. Embracing a growth mindset (Dweck, 2016)
allows the service-delivery team to focus on continued opportunities to grow and learn. As result,
service-delivery team members described how they managed stressors and persisted through
challenging tasks. With high self-efficacy indicators from survey and focus group responses, the

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service-delivery team expressed that it is worth going the “extra mile” because they believe their
efforts will produce meaningful results. Most respondents referenced improved outcomes for
youth and families, benefits to the organization, benefits to the community or community
partners, and how their efforts helped them or their team members grow or develop
professionally.
Figure 3 Likert Responses from Questionnaire Item 17

As illustrated in Figure 3, a total of 76% participants reported that they go the extra mile
either "always" (57%) or "almost always" (19%). One respondent described "always" going the
extra mile and gave internal and external examples by stating,
"I wear many hats around our agency. I am always looking out for our agency and
ensuring that we are being represented well in our community. I attend community
gatherings to represent us, conferences, and meetings with our funding source. I am also
the go to 'IT' person in our office because I have a little knowledge in the department."

57%
19%
24%
Q17. Questionnaire Responses
Always Almost Always Sometimes

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Similarly, several other members of the service-delivery team reported "always" going the extra
mile during and outside of work hours. One respondent stated,
"I am always up for a challenge, whether it is personally challenging myself or
completing any task. I enjoy my work and often take it home (with my own mental health
in mind at all times). If a youth needs more than what I can offer, I find a way to get the
resources they need. I do not stop until I have exhausted all efforts."

Another survey respondent described work as being a comfortable place that feels like “home”
and where it was worth the “dedication.” This respondent mentioned,
“I stay in the office late nights, work on weekends. I will answer parents calls 24/7. I
have now extended my duties to mentoring youth that I had a connection with after
completing our program. Anytime another program needs assistance, I do not hesitate to
do what it takes to help out. Even if that means I need to travel to their program. I also
never hesitate to volunteer when our company is recruiting for volunteers.”

Several references were made about the difficult challenges that the service-delivery team
encounters. However, they viewed those challenges as “part of the job” and discussed ways they
have learned how to cope. Rather than seeing challenges and difficulties at work as negative, the
service-delivery team expressed a sense of acceptance that allowed them set “healthy
boundaries,” engage in “self-care practices,” and persist with hope and optimism.
A final illustration of this view is represented in a survey participant’s response that
stated, “I love my job. It can be challenging at times, but ultimately I’m happy that I get to work
with the youth and be involved in their lives.” It can be concluded that the service-delivery
team’s self-efficacious beliefs have evolved from a growth mindset perspective, where they
believe there is value in learning and growing through hardships (Dweck, 2016).
Validated Influence: Information Seeking. Investing time to seek knowledge and
information to build or enhance the service-delivery team’s skills was another factor attributed to
their high self-efficacy. Key practices that were noted through survey responses and focus group
discussions that demonstrated how the service-delivery team seeks information included, asking

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and receiving feedback during team meetings (from colleagues and supervisors), communication
with probation staff, meetings with youth and families, consulting with community partners,
actively pursuing continuing education, vicarious learning from experienced team members,
scholarly publications, and other credible sources.
One survey respondent discussed how training and outside resources help with problem-
solving by stating,
“The organization provides all the basic training and direction we need to provide the
services. We as individuals and team glean as much as we can from other external
resources and support to help us work with and help others that we may not have
experience with or understand what they struggle with. An example of this is to read
books and articles about the struggles and challenges of youth of our current
organization.”

Another indication of the service-delivery team’s motivation to seek information was further
exemplified in their survey responses about how they perceived their ability to confidently
problem-solve when unexpected events occur. As presented in Figure 4, aF total of 100%
answered "always" (62%) or "almost always" (38%) and this level of confidence can be tied to
strong self-efficacy.

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Figure 4 Likert Responses from Questionnaire Item 24

With beliefs that their work is meaningful and there is opportunity to learn and grow, it
can be concluded that self-efficacious beliefs are a key driver in the service-delivery’s team
pursuit of professional development, independent study, collaboration, various methods of
communicating with stakeholders, and other strategies of information seeking. Based on the
evidence that the service-delivery team provided about self-efficacy, it can be concluded that the
organization’s outcomes are linked to the positive efficacy beliefs that employees have about
themselves, which also influences their behavior, emotions, interactions and performance
outcomes.
Expectancy value
Expectancy value was explored and linked to the service-delivery team’s motivation. The
service-delivery team demonstrated their motivation for building rapport and developing an
alliance with youth and their parent or guardians. Consistent with research that suggests juvenile
justice interventions with therapeutic philosophies are effective (Lipsey and Howell, 2012) the
62%
38%
Q24. Questionnaire Response
Always Almost Always

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responses of the service-delivery team indicated that these essential components encourage
positive behavioral changes among youth and their families. From early interactions to ongoing
communication and after program completion, the service-delivery team saw expectancy value in
building rapport and developing an alliance with youth and their parents.
Validated Influence: Early Connections. One survey respondent suggested how
service-delivery team members are flexible and adaptive when considering how to best connect
with youth by stating, "We are constantly doing our best to be advocates, coaches, mentors,
friends, and inspire hope in our youth." With an openness to adjust roles and approaches to meet
the needs of youth and families, the relational strategies used by the service-delivery team were
believed by one survey respondent to help “facilitate a safe space for our youth to process
through some of the challenges in their lives.” Another survey respondent noted, “We work in
Phase 1 to observe behavior, build alliance and hope, and reduce negativity. Phase 2 gives us
more flexibility as we create a behavior change plan that is specific to the client's needs.” These
comments indicate that this service-delivery team member sees the value in building an alliance
and understands how early connections can provide insight into future needs.
Validated Influence: Diversity. As suggested by Unger (2010) positive youth
development and family dynamics are significantly influenced by relationships they either
possess or lack within the context of their social environmental. HH’s service-delivery team
prioritizes their efforts to meet the unique needs of youth and families with practices that are
culturally relevant. With diversity characteristics of the youth reflected in the composition of the
service-delivery team, youth and families are able to have providers work with them who can
serve as positive role models that are relatable.

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According to a publication of the organization, HH is minority-led with commitment to
diversity and known for a high level of cultural competency. This publication referenced the
organization’s founder, who is a person of color, and credited the founder for building one of the
“most diverse nonprofits in the country, where over 90% of its employees are people of color.”
The publication further discussed the founder’s commitment to providing “culturally relevant
services delivered by persons knowledgeable of cultural and ethnic differences.” Several survey
responses and focus group comments further emphasized the importance of cultural competent
practices that allow youth and families to receive services in the context of their diverse cultural
experiences and with consideration of intersectionality issues.
In a survey response, one service-delivery team member described how personal lived
experiences was a factor in having sensitivity for the hardships that youth and families encounter
by stating,
“My adolescence was riddled with impulsive decisions and wrong choices. However, I
had a few people that took time to encourage me and help me to see things from other
perspectives that caused me to start making better choices. I just wanted to give back to
someone else what someone gave to me.”

Members of the service-delivery team recognized that youth and families are able to feel
accepted and supported by providers when diversity characteristics are considered. One service-
delivery team member’s survey indicated that collective efforts are sometimes necessary to
ensure that youth and families have the tools for navigating and negotiating resources,
information and services that move youth and families toward desired outcomes.
For example, one survey responded stated, "Everyone in the organization plays a role
when it comes to encouraging and inspiring our youth. We have all had different experiences and
different backgrounds that can provide inspiration to our youth." Another survey respondent
expressed empathy for youth based on past experiences by stating, “Having had a hard

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adolescence I try as much as I can to listen for understanding and not so I can be ready to provide
an answer.” Given the diverse characteristics and needs of youth, the service-delivery team
believed that it was important to show empathy and empower resilience in youth and families
through culturally relevant practices that create a foundation for trust, safety, and collaboration.
Validated Influence: Relationship Maintenance. The service-delivery team strives to
maintain meaningful connections once they have been established with you and their families. If
there is an absence of healthy connections and positive relationships with youth and their
families, service-delivery team members expressed how chances for youth to succeed are
diminished. As noted by a survey respondent, maintaining a relational, therapeutic approach
offers “a safe space…..where they [youth] feel respected and loved.” At times, one survey
respondent noted that relationship maintenance may involve, “connecting youth's and their
families to other services available in their areas.” When rapport and an alliance with youth and
their families have been established, they are more likely to feel comfortable discussing unmet
needs with a service-delivery team member.
Validated Influence: History of success. Youth who successfully complete their period
of juvenile probation and achieve life-enhancing benchmarks have reflected on how positive
relationships with HH team members impacted their lives. When youth complete the HH
program and successfully exit the juvenile justice system, it provides reminders to the service-
delivery team that there is value in investing time and effort into building rapport and an alliance
with youth and families. One survey respondent discussed how relationship-building strategies
with one family produced positive outcomes over time. This service-delivery team member
stated,

98
“Mom became actively engaged in our program, and constantly thanked us for the time
we were spending with her daughter. The young lady increased in school attendance and
would talk to her mentor about how building trust back with her mom was important and
she didn't want to jeopardize it. She referred various of her friends to our program, and
was very receptive to us.”

When describing specific interactions that helped another family become more hopeful, a survey
respondent stated,
“With the help of our staff, this youth maintained compliance, spent more time with his
family, got involved with a church, and obtained employment. Staff supported this youth
by attending some of his productions at the church, and genuinely made sure the youth
knew that he was cared about. Staff maintained contact with the youth's mother, and he
now has a family and has stayed on the positive road.”

Through the service-delivery team’s relationship-building strategies, they were able to share
specific examples of youth who completed probation and later returned to show appreciation for
the help they received. One survey respondent stated, “He [former program participant] reached
out to his former case manager…..and sent a picture of himself in his cap and gown; he
graduated from high school!” Similarly, another service-delivery team’s survey response
highlighted another outcome associated with building a rapport and an alliance by stating,
“[Initially] mom did not want to be involved with any service providers and his probation
file was thick. After this young man completed our program, he was enrolled in a school
and had attended the entire year, he significantly reduced his behavioral referrals, and had
no new law violations. He told his team that he appreciated his case manager for all of
her hard work and helping him.”

Overall, the service-delivery team’s survey and focus group responses confirmed that they found
it beneficial to invest their time and effort into relationship-building activities with youth and
families. They were able to see how youth and their families were able to feel more supported
and improve their lives as a result of the methods used to engaged youth and their families. With
a history of successful outcomes from past program participants, the service-delivery team’s

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efforts to make early and ongoing connections with you and their families can be tied to their
expectancy value for relationship-building.
Organizational Factors/Results
In relation to the organizational influences presented and discussed in Chapter 2, it was
assumed that two cultural models and two cultural settings were significant in helping the
service-delivery team achieve its performance goals. Influences were validated through
responses provided from documents, a questionnaire and information discussed during a focus
group. These protocols provided insight into specific factors where motivation is driven by
confidence in the work the service-delivery team performs as well as their perceived value of the
tasks they believe inspire positive changes in the youth they serve. The cultural models that are
presented reflect aspirations and ideas that have moved the service-delivery team toward actions
and practices for maintaining a positive organizational culture and achieving performance goals.
Cultural Model Influence 1
The service-delivery team’s survey and focus group responses indicated that they value
the organization’s mission. As a group, the majority of the service-delivery team believes their
work toward advancing the organization’s mission has expectancy value because they are
provided with anecdotal and statistical evidence that their efforts produce meaningful outcomes
for youth.
Validated Influence: Inspired by the mission. The organization’s mission was
identified by the service-delivery team as providing a rationale for how and why they perform
their jobs. The organization’s mission is consistent with its strength-based model and assumes
that youth want opportunities to improve their lives. The service-delivery team viewed their roles
with a sense of purpose and believed that affirming and validating the dignity and worth of each

100
program participant is necessary for maintaining the integrity of the program’s trauma-informed,
strength-based model. They associated their motivation for becoming involved with the
organization with being inspired by the organization’s mission.
One survey respondent stated, “I really respect and appreciate the mission and vision of
this organization. Being able to work in the field with these families and in the community has
been invaluable.” Another respondent credited interest in working with the organization to its
mission by stating, “I agreed with their mission and wanted to help youth that need extra
guidance. My expectations were that it was going to be challenging, but worth it.” All of the
survey respondents noted that their positive presence at work is influenced by working in a
position where their personal values and passion aligns with the organization’s mission.
For example, one service-delivery team member stated, “I have a passion for working
with at-risk youth. I feel there is such a huge need and I want to do all I can to help these kids
from falling through the cracks.” Adding to the idea of how valuing the organization’s mission
influences how the service-delivery team perceives their work, one survey respondent expressed,
“I got involved in working in this organization because I was impressed with the mission
of the organization. The mission aligned with my beliefs and goals as a professional. My
expectations were that I would be working on making a difference in the community with
those that need the services most.”

Since the organization’s inception, the founder has made systematic efforts to corroborate the
mission with authentic strength-based practices and principles that promote positive youth
development. For many service-delivery team members, this allows them to “believe in” their
work and bring value to a well-established idea for how to best meet the needs of youth and
families.
When survey respondents were directly asked how their personal beliefs compared with
the mission of the organization, the majority of them provided responses that indicated there was

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a close alignment. One survey respondent stated, “I have focused my career on helping
marginalized populations connect with opportunities that may not feel achievable to them. So
this mission really aligned with my values and what I seek to do in the community.” Another
survey responded commented by stating, “My personal beliefs align with the [mission]
statement. Most of the families we work with have had doors shut on them. Our services, open
may doors and allows them to see opportunities they didn't before.”
One survey respondent attributed being involved with the organization to a desire to
contribute to what the organization has established by stating, “Just the opportunity to enhance
what the company already has in place keeps me motivated to continue serving.”
Overall, the organization’s mission shapes the way the service-delivery team performs their work
and influences their attitudes toward their work. As noted earlier, the service-delivery team
overwhelmingly expressed positive affective sentiments about their work and this can be tied to
the strong connection they feel to the organization’s mission. It can be concluded that the
service-delivery team believes they are part of an organizational culture that embraces ideas and
practices that are consistent with enriching the lives of youth from a strengths perspective, which
is guided by ideas presented in the organization’s mission. As a unifying factor for the service-
delivery team, the mission helps the service-delivery team with being flexible and adaptable
while also sharing a sense of cohesion, dedication and enthusiasm for their work to improve the
lives of youth and families.
Cultural Model Influence 2
The service-delivery team’s survey and focus group responses indicated that teamwork
and collaboration is valued. Teamwork and collaboration was identified as an area where the
service-delivery team is able to expand their capacity through working with colleagues, youth,

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and parents. As a result of team and collaborative interactions, the service-delivery team was
particularly appreciative of the consistency and frequency of communication and feedback they
share with various stakeholders.
Validated Influence: Teamwork and collaboration is valued. When considering what
helps the service-delivery team maintain the ability to achieve or exceed its performance goals,
they expressed value in teamwork and collaboration. Established ideas and beliefs that are in
place within the organization promotes communication exchanges, information sharing, and
collaborative activities that prepare them to effectively respond to the needs of youth and
families. Service-delivery team members discussed how teamwork and collaboration was a valid
consideration for how they approach their work and manage their roles within the organization.
With awareness and understanding of the needs of youth and families, the service-
delivery team is able to leverage resources through teamwork and collaboration. In survey
responses, as presented in Figure 5, a total of 62% directly referenced teamwork and
collaboration as playing an important role in inspiring and encouraging youth to achieve
successful outcomes. The remaining 38% of respondents either referenced specific positions or
the involvement of other colleagues and stakeholders.

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Figure 5. Likert Responses from Questionnaire Item 5

A survey respondent stated, “Every employee plays an integral part in the success of the youth
we work with. It takes a village…..our collaborative efforts make a difference.”
With a similar perspective, another service-delivery team member noted, “We all try to work as a
team and use each other as catalysts to help promote positive behavior.”
One survey respondent referenced key contributions that allow the service-delivery team
to take on various roles for the benefit of inspiring “hope” in the youth they serve. This service-
delivery team member mentioned specific departments and programs that work collaboratively
with the organization, including federal, county, and local entities. Evidence of the
organization’s value of internal and external collaborations were also highlighted in public
documents, where multiple stakeholders were discussed as being actively engaged with service-
delivery efforts.
62%
38%
Q5. Questionnaire Response
Everyone (internal/external stakeholders) Key Staff (internall)

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While the service-delivery team was able to recognize collaboration and teamwork as
useful strategies for helping to create conditions for positive youth outcomes, one respondent
mentioned how management within the organization plays a role because they set the tone based
on their understanding of “each position in the program.” When exploring how other survey
respondents viewed teamwork and collaboration, it can be inferred that management has a
supportive role in ensuring that teamwork and collaboration is promoted rather than inhibited.
For example, one survey responded stated,
“I love the trainings we do…This gives us an opportunity for team building and I get to
hang out with my team. We work remotely across the state, so I really appreciate the
agency provides for this in their budget. I was able to go out of state for training…I was
able to network and make friends across the country that do the same job as I do.”

As indicated by a different survey respondent, management’s role in supporting
collaboration and teamwork helps create positive attitudes among the service-delivery team. This
survey respondent stated, “If I need a resource, my boss helps me track it down. There is a
culture of support and encouragement. I definitely don’t feel like I have to do it all on my own.”
Evidence of the service-delivery team’s commitment to teamwork and collaboration was
demonstrated through how they described their willingness to dedicate time, effort, and resources
to such activities. However, beyond the service-delivery team’s motivation for team work and
collaboration, it should be noted that management serves as a facilitating factor, as they convey
messages that reinforce and support collective efforts.
Overall, the organization’s structure and workflow design is conducive to teamwork and
collaboration. The service-delivery team expressed shared ideas and beliefs about teamwork and
collaboration that were positive, which resulted in positive feelings about the value of working
with others. Cultural models associated with shared meaning and understanding of the

105
organization’s mission along with positive perceptions about the value of working toward the
mission as a team and collaboratively is actualized through cultural settings.
Cultural Setting Influence
The service-delivery team’s survey and focus group responses indicated that time is
dedicated to planning how to achieve performance goals. With standards of practice in place for
creating consistency in how youth and families are processed through the program, the service-
delivery team has quality assurance measures in place that guide them through information
gathering for the benefit of determining how to best meet the needs of each youth referred to the
program.
Validated Influence: Time Dedicated to Planning. During early stages of enrolling
youth and families into HH and after youth referrals are reviewed, the service-delivery team’s
protocol for subsequent data collection and assessment involves processes that are approached
reflectively and systematically. At baseline assessments, many of the service-delivery team
members reported that youth and families often feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and hopeless.
For example, one service-delivery team member remarked,
“One youth came from a home where her mother was in a gang and made this youth fight
at school or she would get hurt once she came home. She had anger management issues
and refused to attend school. Additionally, she had runaway behaviors.”
While in [the HH program], this service-delivery team member described how after a planning
process that set the youth up for success, the student became more hopeful. Comments followed
about outcomes that resulted:
“We were able to set her up with employment as well as speak with her teachers at school
to address any underlying issues…..She successfully completed the program by her court
date and after working with her, she began to attend school daily. Additionally, her and

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her mother began participating in family counseling in order to work on their relationship
and become closer.”

Increasing hope is a standard goal the service-delivery team establishes upon processing youth
into the program. According to another service-delivery team member’s survey response, with a
goal of increasing hope established during the first phase of therapy, “This hope is something we
use throughout the entire time we work with youth and their family.” An additional service-
delivery team member described how building an “alliance,” understanding “behavior” and
reducing “negativity” were prerequisites to inspiring “hope.” Similarly a different survey
respondent further described how hope-building interactions provide the basis for collaboratively
creating a “behavior change plan that is specific to the client’s needs.”
As a result of the knowledge factors that were previously explored, the cultural setting of
dedicating regular time to planning proved to compliment the service-delivery team’s
motivation. Through standards of practice that engage the service-delivery team and provides
avenues for them to participate in planning processes, they are able to feel connected through
how they communicate as well as through their actions. One service-delivery team memeber who
has formulated plans, introduced ideas, and provided opportunities to inspire hope, commented
during the focus group about ongoing efforts that are made for them to include metacognitive
practices and collaboration to create the necessary conditions for youth and families to have
better family dynamics and an improved quality of life.
Through individual and team processes that are consistent with organizational values that
guide operating principles, the service-delivery team expressed that they appreciate how the
organization provides time and space for them to examine or question work processes, receive
consultation, and contribute ideas to make adjustments they believe are useful. For example, in a
survey response, one service-delivery team member stated, “My program provides weekly

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supervision time for therapists to come together and discuss cases in further depth. This gives
therapists the chance to learn and build stronger approaches to helping the families we work
with.” With time dedicated to planning and processing thoughts about priorities that follow the
referral, enrollment, and intake process, the service delivery team is able to develop
individualized service plans that increase hope by gathering data from a variety of sources.
For example, in a survey response, one service-delivery team member described how a
team process involved studying a student’s IEP [Individualized Education Program], ARD
[Admission, Review and Dismissal] documents, and counseling notes to develop a plan for the
student’s success. As a result this service-delivery team member added, “The student was never
violent with staff or students and one of our biggest successes.” When the student returned back
to his home campus after being enrolled in the program at an alternative school, the service-
delivery team member stated, “His home campus was baffled as to how we were able to work
with him without incidents.”
It is believed that motivational factors of meaningful work, growth mindset and
information-seeking are further enhanced from planning processes that allow the service-delivery
team to participate in both sharing and generating knowledge. Their involvement empowers
them to provide input and bring unique perspectives to their work while feeling they bring
contributions to the organization that are valued. The nature of the insights gleaned and
perspectives gained through the referrals from juvenile probation and the subsequent enrollment
and intake process begins the journey for constructing paths of opportunities and productive
options for youth and families to move toward brighter futures.

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Cultural Setting 2
The cultural setting related to the organization providing material resources in support of
what the service-delivery needs to access and implement interventions was validated. The
service-delivery team’s survey and focus group responses indicated that they enjoy material
resources for accessing and implementing interventions that are consistent with inspiring youth
to become better citizens. These resources not only help the service-delivery team to perform
necessary tasks but also help provide a stable work environment that attracts and retains a
knowledgeable workforce.
Validated Influence: Availability of Material Resources. Resource availability not
only influences what the service-delivery does in their daily work but also influences how they
think about their work and how they view themselves in the context of their work. The service-
delivery team provided examples of the cultural setting of available material resources is
connected to pragmatic strategies that help them implement the organization’s trauma-informed
strength-based model.
Several service-delivery team members acknowledged they value the training
opportunities they receive by the organization. One survey respondent stated, how training in
mentoring, mental health first aid, and motivational interviewing contributes to knowledge of
how to create “a safe space for youth to process through some of the challenges in their lives.”
Another service-delivery team member discussed how the organization’s training in the strength-
based approach of Motivational Interviewing was a valued material resource that provided a
guide for how to engage in “respectful and compassionate” interactions with youth and families.
An additional service-delivery team member noted, “We take a strength-based approach
and all of our staff are trained in Trauma-Informed Care and Motivational Interviewing. We

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continue our training…..to ensure we are using it correctly and always improving our
techniques.” Consistent with other observations about the value of training, another service-
delivery team member reported, “Our company is very good about allowing us to attend training
and conferences that we find that will be a valuable resource.” The regular and ongoing
availability of training resources and materials supports a culture of learning while also having a
positive influence on knowledge and motivational factors that empower the service-delivery
team to achieve its performance goals.
The service-delivery team plays an active role in developing resources. While resources
are made available to the service-delivery team from a variety of sources, it was discovered from
survey and focus group responses as well as organizational publications that current and former
employees personally donate and bring resources to the organization, which further reflects their
belief in their work. Through employee giving, a host of activities are sponsored by donations
that fund special projects, scholarships, and other experiences for youth and families.
In an organizational publication it was reported that among the diverse sources of funding
received by the organization, there is a “culture of giving” within the organization from
“generous employees who donate money, in-kind contributions and services” to the
organization’s programs and youth. The publication recognized current and former employees
with a grateful acknowledgement to all who contributed “time, money, and resources” in support
of the youth served by the organization. Another organizational publication highlighted that an
employee giving fund provided assistance in the form of gift cards that could be used to purchase
groceries, pay utility services and other bills as well as cleaning supplies and other essentials of
daily living for youth and their families.

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In some instances, employees and their supervisors join together to deliver donations
directly to the homes of youth and families. In another document published by the organization,
a service-delivery team member reported that connecting with youth and families during “tough
times” was “priceless.” This individual further added, “You could tell they were so happy to see
that someone cares.” The service-delivery team member’s supervisor who also assisted the
employee with delivering items to a family commented that the experience was enjoyable and it
was moving to join enthusiastic and dedicated staff in delivering “important supplies.”
This illustrates that beyond having shared beliefs about the meaning and purpose of their work,
there is a culture of caring and shared ownership within the organization.
Mutual exchanges of support within the organization creates cultural norms that foster
positive connections and healthy relationships. If resources are needed beyond what the
organization has the capacity to provide, the service-delivery team seeks out additional resources
or personally contribute. This indicates they have a positive view of the organization and
confidence that their contributions are useful. The resources that the organization makes
available helps guide the service-delivery team toward a strategic direction that aligns with the
organization’s mission. As highlighted in an organizational publication, the service-delivery
team is provided the material resources they need to ensure that youth and families they serve are
“nurtured, fed, sheltered, educated, empowered and counseled.”
A strong workforce with the necessary resources has helped the service-delivery team
produce quality-oriented results. The organization is valued by universities as an internship site
that provides interns what they need to enhance their learning. With a well-established
internship program, college students help the organization increase capacity while providing the
service-delivery team with additional support and resources that enhance the services they

111
provide. One focus group participant discussed how the organization attracts graduate level
interns who are working toward master’s degrees in social work. With advanced practice skills,
social work interns were viewed as being able to serve as role models who are able to motivate
youth and expose them to the benefits of higher education while also meaningfully contributing
to the clinical, case management and administrative aspects of the service-delivery team’s work.
Many of the service-delivery team members were able to identify other resources that
help them feel supported and appreciated. They provided additional examples and sentiments
that validated various types incentives, equipment, supplies, and materials that are useful in
creating a stable work environment. In a survey response, one service-delivery team member
stated, “The agency invests in its employees. I have never gotten as much support from an
employer that I have from [this organization]…..they are the best people I have every worked for
and I really respect them.”
Among the resources that support the service-delivery team in completing their job, the
organization’s Wellness Program was an investment that went beyond the basic benefits that are
usually provided by an organization. The organization’s Wellness Program serves as a method
of promoting a culture of well-being through activities and incentives that help employees
maintain or improve health and fitness. One service-delivery team member described the
wellness program as “a big incentive.” This person discussed excitement about receiving
notification when a wellness incentive has been earned. Incentives include “an extra bit of
money in your pocket” and “reimbursements for the gym.”
The organization employs a wellness and recognition director, a wellness and recognition
manager, and other staff who help the organization with educating and encouraging participation
in initiatives associated with helping employees manage stressors and reduce risk factors the

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interfere with optimal levels of health and wellness. These positions reflect the extent to which
the organization is committed to creating an infrastructure to ensure that a culture of wellness is
conveyed through messaging and resources that encourage healthy lifestyle choices.
Overall, the cultural settings that influence the service-delivery team in achieving their
performance goals are clearly recognized and defined through the material resources they
receive. Material resources have supported existing practices that are effective, inspired new
approaches, and constructed creative problem-solving ideas among the service-delivery team.
With all service-delivery team members indicating in survey responses that their values and
interests align with the organization’s mission, HH’s investment in material resources further
enhances employee engagement and creates experiences and messages that deeply resonate.
Synthesis
The juvenile justice system is supported by research-informed practices and practice-
informed research that produces evidence in favor of using strength-based, trauma-informed,
culturally competent strategies to meet the complex needs of youth who are most vulnerable to
repeat offenses and ultimately entering the adult criminal justice system. Perspective of HH’s
service-delivery team further adds to existing literature of how community-based interventions
that engage youth and families while building a network of support, where positive, caring
relationships coupled with increased access to community resources and assets can put juvenile
justice-involved youth on a trajectory toward brighter futures. Contrary to juvenile justice
practices that are punitive and driven by retribution, this study confirmed the value of
therapeutic, rehabilitative interventions (Chung, Schubert & Mulvey, 2007; Fazal, 2014; Lipsey
et al, 2010).

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Armed with experiences and testimonials of how trauma-informed, strength-based
approaches best serve youth, the service-delivery team of HH has also experienced the benefits
of applying trauma-informed, strength-based concepts and theories to their professional
interactions with colleagues and stakeholders. Founded on a strengths-based orientation, the
leadership of HH has maintained the ability to embed a strengths philosophy and allow it to
permeate through all levels of the organization. Among the key perspectives shared by the
service-delivery team, the meaning and purpose they find in their work advances the
organization’s strength-based culture and drives them to transfer knowledge and training into
effective action.
As with any program or service, an intervention is only as good as the individuals who
are operationalizing it and completing the necessary monitoring, maintenance and adjustments to
ensure that desired outcomes are achieved. With over a 30-year history of establishing and
maintaining partnerships to improve the lives of juvenile justice-involved youth, the organization
that was the focus of this study has proven through replication and low recidivism rates that their
strength-based, trauma-informed, culturally competent model promotes positive youth
development while closing opportunity gaps. With the organization’s service-delivery team as
the stakeholder group who shared their perspectives on the knowledge, motivational, and
organizational influences that help them achieve performance goals to improve the lives of
juvenile justice-involved youth, the findings from this study serves as a reminder and call to
action for ensuring that frontline workers, whose efforts build a better juvenile justice system,
have the necessary resources and support they need to develop and maintain a strength-based
culture for well-informed decision-making.

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CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS AND DISCUSSION
Introduction and Overview

The recommendations categorized under the knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences are designed to help implement a program to reaffirm and sustain the service-delivery
team’s stakeholder goal. Building on the learning culture of the organization, a three-day
professional development training is recommended to establish baseline data and create
benchmarks that will support learning outcomes needed to mentor new employees and reduce
complacency with existing employees. The recommended program will include a total of 15
modules, which will be delivered over a 3-day period with 5 modules covered each day. The
program will be evaluated with the Kirkpatrick New World (2016) model of evaluation and
provide a basis for the four levels of evaluations. Level 1 is a learner-centered assessment of the
participants’ reaction to the training, Level 2 measures the learning that was acquired in training,
Level 3 examines how employees transfer their learning to job application, and Level 4 focuses
on results.
Discussion
This study examined knowledge, motivational and organizational influences that
supported the promising practices of an organization that has reduced recidivism rates of youth
whose lives have intersected with the juvenile justice system. Perspectives shared by 21
members of a non-profit organization’s service-delivery team demonstrated how trauma-
informed strength-based practices have a therapeutic benefit to youth whose lives intersect with
the juvenile justice system but also enhance the professional identity and competence of the
individuals who serve them and their families. Adding to the existing literature of what strategies
have proven effective in juvenile justice, this study provided an example of how alignment of

115
resources toward a strategic direction for reducing recidivism rate can help juvenile probation
departments to build capacity and leverage resources with community-based providers who
understand and value the use and implementation of research-informed practices to promote
positive youth development.
Although much has been written about what practices are effective in improving the lives
of juvenile justice-involved youth, less attention has been drawn to the professionals who may
work across systems that intersect with the lives of youth who become involved in the juvenile
justice system. While the inherent nature of the organization that was the focus of this study is
grounded in trauma-informed, strength-based principles that were clearly articulated and
perceived by the service-delivery team as well-received by the youth and families who receive
services, it was not confirmed whether the juvenile probation departments, school systems, and
other youth-serving agencies who may also serve juvenile justice-involved youth are also
strategically implementing trauma-informed, strength-based principles in their work.
With the level of conscientiousness and intention that has been invested in the service-
delivery model highlighted in this study, the organization has been able to replicate its efforts
across the country through juvenile justice partnerships. However, it is noteworthy to consider
how partnerships across youth-serving systems, including school districts, child welfare
agencies, law enforcement, and healthcare settings, might adopt a community-wide model for
implementing trauma-informed, strength-based approaches with juvenile justice-involved youth.
A macro approach to improving youth-serving systems by implementing trauma-informed,
strength-based approaches can enhance the ability for youth to exist the juvenile justice system
with healthy connections that help them move toward and sustain trajectories toward brighter
futures.

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Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
Burnout, compassion fatigue, and other consequences of work-related stressors can place
strain not only on service-delivery teams that work with juvenile justice-involved youth but
entire systems that may or may not work collaboratively with the juvenile justice system to
expand opportunities and options for youth and their families to repair their lives.
Recommendations for practice to address KMO influences are grounded in the confidence that
the common downward spiral of hopelessness among juvenile justice-involved youth can be
interrupted. These youth can become inspired by hope as a result of developing and
strengthening trauma-informed workforces with developmentally appropriate interventions that
mitigate youth exposure to childhood adversity and other maladaptive behaviors that stem from
negative life experiences. The outlined recommendations provide a framework for strategically
deploying resources to enhance job performance and contribute strategies that can help with
building or sustaining resilient workforces in practice settings that serve juvenile justice-involved
youth.
Knowledge Recommendations
Introduction. Based on HH’s achievement of its performance goal and with consideration
of the service-delivery team’s existing practices, the procedural and metacognitive knowledge
influences represented in Table 7 were validated. After collecting data through a questionnaire,
focus group and document analysis, the researcher discovered knowledge types that the service-
delivery team perceived as worthwhile and effective. With consideration of Clark and Estes
(2008) gap analysis as well as literature highlighting the impact of knowledge on performance, it
is anticipated and confirmed that each of the knowledge influences have a high priority in
providing the service delivery team with the ability to inform the way they interact and support

117
the youth who participate in the HH program. The context-specific recommendations presented
in Table 7 are based on theoretical principles and provide the service-delivery team with
opportunities to strengthen and enhance their existing efforts while also establishing a foundation
for training or mentoring members who might join the service-delivery team in the future.
Table 7. Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Knowledge
Influence
Validated?
Yes, High
Probability
or No
(V, HP, N)
Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Service-delivery team
knows how to acquire
knowledge about the
needs of the youth in
the program. (P)

HP Y The way
individuals
organize
knowledge
influences
how they learn
and apply
what they
know (Schraw
&
McCrudden,
2006).
Use Job Aids: It is
recommended that
the service-
delivery team use
job aids to guide
how multiple data
sources are used
with trauma-
informed strength-
based, culturally
competent
approaches to
inform current and
future needs of
youth in the
program.

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Case manager (key
member of the service-
delivery team) knows
how to develop an
Individual Support Plan
(ISP) that promotes
positive youth
development. This
knowledge influence is
specific to the role of
the case manager, and
the other service-
delivery team members
are responsible for
engaging in activities
that support the ISP.
(P)

HP Y Information
learned
meaningfully
and connected
with prior
knowledge is
stored more
quickly and
remembered
more
accurately
because it is
elaborated
with prior
learning
(Schraw &
McCrudden,
2006).
Education to
Learn from Data:
It is recommended
that during weekly
team meetings,
the service-
delivery team
tracks how youth
are responding to
the interventions
and activities
outlined in the ISP
and make
necessary
adjustments that
are based on the
evidence-based
Stages of Change
framework, as
presented in the
Transtheoretical
Model of Change.

119
Service-delivery team
knows how to build
rapport and develop an
alliance with youth and
their parents or
guardians ( P)

HP Y Activating
and building
upon personal
interest can
increase
learning and
motivation
(Schraw &
Lehman,
2009)
Solicit Feedback
from Youth &
their Parents or
Guardians: It is
recommended that
the service-
delivery team
collect and
analyze survey
data from youth
and parents on a
monthly basis to
confirm whether
their efforts with
building rapport
and an alliance
with youth and
their
parents/guardians
are perceived as
helpful and
supportive of
outcomes desired.

120
The service-delivery
team engages in
reflection about their
practices. (M)
HP Y The use of
metacognitive
strategies
facilitates
learning
(Baker, 2006).

Practitioner
Reflection and
self-evaluation: It
is recommended
that the service-
delivery team
have time
allocated in their
schedule each
week for
professional
development
reflection and
self-evaluation
through
journaling.

Procedural knowledge solutions, or description of needs or assets. At the procedural
knowledge level, Krathwohl (2002) suggests that individuals learn the “how to” use and “when
to” use specific procedures, techniques and methods. As presented in Table 2, the first
knowledge influence that is described at the procedural level indicates the service-delivery team
knows how to acquire knowledge about the needs of the youth in the program. Schraw and
McCrudden (2006) discuss the relevance of how knowledge is organized. They assert that the
way individuals organize knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they know
(Schraw and McCrudden, 2006). In the field of juvenile justice, this would suggest that it is
important for practitioners to gather information that accurately identifies individual and
systemic factors that have contributed to a child’s involvement with the legal system for
delinquent and/or criminal behavior and organize that knowledge in useful ways.

121
Clark and Estes (2008) suggest that job aids are useful informational resources that
employees can reference to support their achievement of performance goals. As evidenced by
secondary data analysis of content that is collected by the organization on each youth, the
service-delivery team relies on multiple sources of data to become informed about the needs of
youth in the program. At a minimum, documentation of the service-delivery team’s efforts
demonstrated they know how to collect data from juvenile probation, parents, self-report data
from youth and information from schools to inform them of the needs of youth. As a promising
practice model, it is therefore recommended that for both the benefit of internal stakeholders and
agencies seeking to adopt similar strategies that a job aid be created. The job aid should provide
the types of data sources and collateral information that is important to consider. It should also
provide suggestions for how to acquire information from each source to learn about the needs of
youth whose lives have intersected with the juvenile justice system.
Due to the cost of incarceration and the growing number of youth who are adjudicated
and placed on juvenile probation, it is important for practitioners to understand how to access
information about youth needs to prevent repeat offending (Aizer & Doyle, 2013; Balsamo &
Poncin; Cohen & Piquero, 2009; Lipsey & Howell; 2012; Smith, 2016; Snyder & Sickmund,
2006). As noted in the juvenile justice literature, it is estimated that six out of ten youth return to
court by age 18 (Snyder & Sickmund, 2006). This implies that the needs of youth are not being
adequately addressed to prevent them from continuing involvement in the justice system. Unmet
basic needs, academic deficiencies, mental health issues, trauma histories, and lack of caregiver
support are among the underlying issues that have been identified as a result of the service-
delivery team’s ability to know how to consult multiple sources of data to learn about the needs
of youth in the program. With attention to implementing a job aid that helps with organizing

122
information from various sources around indicators of youth needs, juvenile justice practitioners
may be able to close knowledge gaps between what they know and what they need to do to
increase their effectiveness of addressing the needs of youth (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Similar to the first knowledge influence presented in Table 7, the second procedural
knowledge influence is grounded in data collection that informs service-delivery efforts. The
case manager of the service-delivery team knows how to develop an Individual Support Plan
(ISP) that promotes positive youth development. This knowledge influence is procedural in
nature and requires the case manager to consider the needs of youth in the program.
According to Schraw and McCrudden (2006), information learned meaningfully and
connected with prior knowledge is stored more quickly and remembered more accurately
because it is elaborated with prior learning. This suggests that the information documented in
each child’s ISP will reflect specific goals based on needs of youth and knowledge of how to
construct service-delivery interventions or activities that promote positive youth development.
Clark and Estes (2008) notes that education is a useful strategy to help practitioners prepare for
future problem-solving. Therefore, it is recommended that the service-delivery team receive
education during weekly team meetings to help them track how youth are responding to the
interventions and activities outlined in the ISP.
This recommendation allows weekly team meetings to be used for educational purposes
that help the service-delivery team make necessary adjustments to the ISP based on the needs of
youth. The evidence-based Stages of Change framework, as presented in the Transtheoretical
Model of Change, is a tool that can be used for guiding ISP decisions (Norcross, Krebs, &
Prochaska, 2011). During weekly team meetings, the model can be useful in assisting the
service-delivery team with monitoring attitudes and behaviors of youth and how they are

123
progressing with making the necessary changes to successfully complete juvenile probation
(Norcross, Krebs, & Prochaska, 2011; Rochien, Rude, Baron, 2005).
The final influence related to procedural knowledge in Table 7, is the service-delivery
team knows how to build rapport and develop an alliance with youth and their parents or
guardians. In the context of this study, building rapport involves the service-delivery team’s
sensitivity to the personal interests of youth and human interactions that inspire them to learn and
grow (Tickle-Degnen & Rosenthal, 1990). While document analysis provides evidence that the
service-delivery team is engaging in rapport-building practices and activities, which allow
alliances with youth and their caregivers to develop, as suggested by Schraw and Lehman
(2009), the use of strategies that capture personal interest facilitates engagement and learning.
Since rapport building strategies are useful in helping engage youth in the process of positive
change, it is recommended that the service-delivery team collect and analyze survey data from
youth and parents on a monthly basis to determine whether their efforts with building rapport
and an alliance with youth and their parents/guardians are perceived as helpful and supportive of
desired outcomes.
Metacognitive knowledge solutions, or description of needs or assets.
The last knowledge type that was a priority in this study is metacognitive. Metacognitive
knowledge allows individuals to monitor their own thinking and become more active in learning
through self-reflection (Krathwohl, 2002; Mayer, 2011). Engaging in self-monitoring and self-
assessment are two practices mentioned by Baker (2006) that can help develop and maintain
professionalism among the service-delivery team. Such practices can improve creative problem-
solving and increase confidence in decision-making when the use of discretion is required.
Additionally, these practices can result in learning about when to increase training or expand

124
educational support to aid in the development of future strategies or interventions (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
As referenced in Table 7, at the metacognitive level, the service-delivery team engages in
reflection about their practices. As suggested by Baker (2006), the use of metacognitive
strategies facilitates learning. In the context of this study, metacognitive strategies are important
to helping the service-delivery team improve their professional practice and interactions with
youth served by the program as well as with other key stakeholders.
Krathwohl (2002) asserts that metacognitive knowledge is important to helping
individuals recognize the value of using knowledge to adapt how they think and operate.
Weekly case staffings provide the service-delivery team with opportunities to integrate prior
knowledge and raise self-awareness about actions that are necessary in planning, monitoring and
evaluating their efforts. In a studying highlighting effective juvenile justice practices,
metacognitive knowledge was demonstrated to have a positive influence on how practitioners
implement creativity, collaboration and research-informed decision-making (Rocque, Welsh,
Greenwood, & King, 2014).
Although the service-delivery team has demonstrated sensitivity to the importance of
implementing metacognitive strategies during case staffings, it is recommended that their efforts
be further enhanced by allowing them to have time allocated in their schedule each week for
independent professional development reflection and self-evaluation through journaling. From a
metacognitive perspective, this process of self-evaluation can encourage the service-delivery
team to personally reflect on their own actions and intentionally dedicate attention to successes
and challenges they encounter in performing tasks. The use of journaling can assist the service-

125
delivery team with transferring their learning from self-evaluation and reflection to improving
their practices and learning from positive and negative experiences.
Motivation Recommendations
Introduction. Table 8 presents an overview of validated motivation. The motivation
influences of self-efficacy and expectancy value were confirmed from questionnaire responses
and a focus group discussion, and supported by document analysis and the literature review.
Clark and Estes (2008) assert that three motivational influences impact the pursuit of
performance goals: active choice, persistence and mental effort.
Theories that link motivation with performance can be examined to gain insight into what
motivates HH’s service-delivery team. Table 7 highlights assumed motivation influences that
are grounded in the theories of self-efficacy and expectancy value. Each of these influences have
a high probability of being validated and a high priority for supporting how the service-delivery
team has achieved their performance goal. Table 7 also provides context-specific
recommendations for the highly probable influences based on theoretical principles.

126
Table 8. Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Motivation
Influence
Validated?
Yes, High
Probabilit
y or No
(V, HP, N)
Priorit
y
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle
and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Self-efficacy: Service-
delivery team has confidence
in their ability to effectively
respond to the needs of the
youth who are referred to the
program, as evidenced by the
development of an Individual
Support Plan and
documentation of their
interactions with youth.

HP Y High self-
efficacy
can
positively
influence
motivatio
n (Pajares,
2006).
Recognition Meetings:
Host monthly
recognition meetings
to acknowledge the
efforts that members of
the service-delivery
team put into being
responsive to the needs
of the youth on their
caseload (Bandura,
1997).
Expectancy Value: Service-
delivery team is motivated to
build rapport and develop an
alliance with youth and their
parents or guardians because
they know these essential
components are useful in
encouraging positive
behavioral changes.

HP Y Learning
and
motivatio
n are
enhanced
if the
learner
values the
task or
perceives
it as
useful
(Eccles,
2006).
Testimonials: Continue
providing opportunities
for youth and their
parents to contribute
testimonials that are
specific and ties the
experience to relevant
actions of the service-
delivery team member
that encouraged
positive behavioral
changes.

127
Self-Efficacy. Social cognitive theory emphasizes that self-efficacy plays an important
role in influencing thoughts, behaviors, and performance (Bandura, 1997). As highlighted in
Table 7 self-efficacy is a motivational influence that is believed to serve as a driver for the
service-delivery team’s positive performance outcomes with juvenile justice-involved youth.
More specifically, the service-delivery team has confidence in their ability to effectively respond
to needs of the youth who are referred to the program. Pajares (2006) asserts that high self-
efficacy can positively influence motivation. This would suggest that it is important for the
service-delivery team to not only have knowledge of how to do their job but also have strong
self-efficacy beliefs.
When individuals personally believe they can be successful at a given task, they are more
likely to persist until their goal(s) are achieved (Gist & Mitchell, 1992; Pajares, 2006). In the
interest of continuing to sustain the current service-delivery team’s motivation and promote
healthy self-efficacy, it is recommended that organizational leaders host monthly recognition
meetings to acknowledge the efforts that members of the service-delivery team put into being
responsive to the needs of the youth on their caseload. This recommendation is consistent with
providing acknowledgement and reinforcement through two sources of information that Bandura
(1997) suggests are useful in enhancing efficacy beliefs: prior experiences of mastering tasks and
feedback/encouragement from others.
Research has shown that practitioners who work in organizations that serve
disadvantaged populations often encounter work related stressors that can interfere with their
productivity and effectiveness (Cahalane & Sites, 2008; Manz, Skaggs, Pearce & Wassenaar,
2014). With difficult caseloads, little opportunity for advancement and needs of youth often
exceeding the resources available at any single organization, juvenile justice practitioners often

128
work in agencies with high rates of turnover and burnout (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2003;
National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 2006). As a result, self-efficacy beliefs of juvenile
justice practitioners may decline because high turnover and burnout typically result in poor
outcomes for youth and higher recidivism (National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 2006).
Motivation can become problematic when self-efficacy beliefs are much higher than
one’s actual abilities and repeated failures occur (Bandura, 1997). Although the service-delivery
team is often faced with high pressure situations, it is believed that their self-efficacy provides
them with confidence to persevere through difficulties (Bandura, 2000; Schunk, 1991).
Similarly, Clark and Estes (2008), emphasize that the more confidence an individual has in
themselves, the more likely they are to stay committed to working toward performance goals.
Providing positive feedback and compliments when team members perform well are among the
strategies that not only motivate individuals but also contribute to the overall productivity of a
team (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Expectancy Value. As presented in Table 7, expectancy value is an assumed motivation
influence on the service-delivery team’s effectiveness. The service-delivery team is motivated to
build rapport and develop an alliance with youth and their parents or guardians because they
know these essential components are useful in encouraging positive behavioral changes.
According to expectancy value theories, two main factors influence motivation: one’s belief that
success or desirable outcomes will result from their efforts and the degree to which an activity is
valued or perceived as useful (Eccles, 2006). This suggests and was further confirmed through
feedback provided by the service-delivery team that it is important for them to receive feedback
that serves as reminders of when they are meeting or exceeding performance goals and that their
contributions are meaningful. From past experiences, the service-delivery team found

129
testimonials from youth and their parents as a help source of evidence that the service-delivery
team’s efforts to build rapport and develop an alliance with youth and their parents or guardians
have made a difference. Therefore, to promote a strongly perceived association between the
service-delivery team’s efforts and the outcome of positive behavioral changes of the youth they
serve, it is recommended that organizational leaders strategically compile testimonials from
youth and their parents/guardians and create a deliberate plan for sharing feedback with the
service-delivery team. It is anticipated that this information will create further dialogue of how to
build on existing success and inspire creative problem-solving for further enhancing future
efforts.
When individuals perceive that an activity has high value, they are more likely to
demonstrate motivation because they believe their efforts are important and worthwhile (Clark &
Estes, 2008; Eccles, 2006). In the juvenile justice literature, researchers have found that even
when financial compensation is low, practitioners are intrinsically motivated and satisfied in
their jobs when they feel their efforts are positively impacting the lives of the youth they serve
(Cahalane & Sites, 2008; National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 2006). Additionally,
when juvenile justice practitioners find value in their job through helpful and therapeutic
interactions that promote positive youth development, they are more motivated to meet the needs
of youth (Brooks & Roush, 2014; Butts, Bazemore & Meroe, 2010). From a theoretical
perspective and consistent with the service-delivery team’s survey and focus group responses, it
would appear that without expectancy value, juvenile justice practitioners would struggle with
being motivated to help youth successfully complete juvenile probation without reoffending.
With the service-delivery team’s consistent application of interventions that build rapport and
alliance with youth and their parents/guardians, it is believed that expectancy value plays a

130
significant motivational factor in the service-delivery team’s ability to reduce recidivism among
the youth they serve.
Organizational Recommendations
An overview of organizational influences and their probability of being validated is
presented in Table 9. The organizational influences used to achieve the service-delivery team’s
goal was validated based on content acquired from an anonymous questionnaire, a focus group,
document analysis, and the literature review. As noted by Clark and Estes (2008), organizations
have an impact on how cultural models and cultural settings influence the outcome of a team’s
performance goals. As a promising practice model, cultural models were identified to support a
rationale for the shared mental representation of the organization’s values in comparison to those
of the service-delivery team (Rueda, 2011). Cultural settings were identified to emphasize the
tangible resources that are currently being provided to help the service-delivery team access the
materials needed to carryout the direct services they provide to youth and families (Rueda,
2011).

131
Table 9. Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Organization
Influence

Validated
Yes, High
Probability
, No
(V, HP, N)
Priorit
y
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Cultural Model
Influence 1:
Employees value the
organization’s mission.
HP Y Employee
attitudes,
particularly
feeling as
though they
matter and their
work makes a
difference, are
correlated with
numerous
organizational
outputs
(Buckingham
and Coffman,
1999; Harter,
Schmidt,
Killham &
Asplund, 2006;
Schlossberg,
1989).
Continue
providing
employees with
opportunities to
represent the
organization in the
community and
share stories about
their work and
impact.
Cultural Model
Influence 2:
Employees of the
organization value
teamwork and
collaboration.
HP Y Organizational
culture is
created through
shared
experience,
shared learning
and stability of
membership
(Schein, 2004).
Continue
allocating time in
employees’
schedules for them
to work
cooperatively with
colleagues and
invite them to
share team success
stories

132
Cultural Setting
Influence 1: The
organization has a
referral, enrollment
and intake process that
supports the service-
delivery team in
planning how to
achieve its goal of
deterring youth from
committing crime.
HP Y Adults are more
motivated to
participate (and
learn) when
they see the
relevance of
information, a
request, or task
(the “why”) to
their own
circumstances.
They are goal
oriented
(Knowles,
1980).
Provide at least an
annual
opportunity for the
service-delivery
team to
collaboratively
examine or
question its
current work
processes and
collectively
determine any
updates or
revisions that may
be needed to
enhance efficiency
and productivity
Cultural Setting
Influence 2: The
organization provides
material resources that
support the service-
delivery team in
accessing and
implementing
interventions that are
consistent with its goal
of deterring youth
from committing
crime.
HP Y Ensuring staff’s
resource needs
are being met is
correlated with
increased
student learning
outcomes
(Waters,
Marzano &
McNulty,
2003).
Continue
receiving input
from the service-
delivery team
about the
resources they
need to address
and effectively
respond to the
diverse needs of
the youth they
serve.

Cultural models. Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) describe cultural models as values
and beliefs that are more cognitive in nature and typically invisible. As illustrated in Table 9 this
study confirmed two cultural models that are relevant to the service-delivery team’s goal
achievement. The first cultural model that was validated is employees value the organization’s

133
mission. Employee attitudes, particularly feeling as though they matter and their work makes a
difference, are correlated with numerous organizational outputs (Buckingham and Coffman,
1999; Harter, Schmidt, Killham & Asplund, 2006; Schlossberg, 1989). This suggests that the
organizational mission has the potential of helping employees of the service-delivery team attach
a deeper sense of meaning and caring to their work in a way that positively impacts their overall
engagement and productivity. In an effort to reinforce and sustain the service-delivery team’s
connection to the organization’s mission and productive organizational outputs, it is
recommended that organizational leaders provide employees with opportunities to represent the
organization in the community and share stories about their work and impact.
In the non-profit sector, an organization’s mission helps employees understand their roles
and purpose of their work (Hallinger & Heck, 2002; Hesselbein & Cohen, 1999; Sawhill &
Williamson, 2001). If framed effectively, employees are more likely to value an organizational
mission that builds a sense of confidence, commitment and excitement about the future (Brown,
Yoshioka, & Munoz, 2004; Conger, 1991, Lewis, 2001). Feedback from the service-delivery
team confirmed that they value the organization’s mission because they have seen how their
roles are vital in helping the organization fulfill its mission through reducing delinquency and
promoting pro-social development among juvenile justice-involved youth. Theoretically, when
employees are asked to represent the organization in the community, it can have an empowering
effect that fosters a positive emotional workplace environment and supports motivation for
maintaining focus on the organization’s purpose (Clark & Estes, 2008; Conger, 1991).
The second cultural model that is expected to be validated is employees of the
organization value teamwork and collaboration. Organizational culture is created through shared
experience, shared learning and stability of membership (Schein, 2004). This suggests that

134
organizations should dedicate time to identifying and implementing strategies that cultivate an
organizational culture that is conducive to producing quality results. As noted by Rao (2016)
teamwork and collaboration help leverage competencies and capabilities within an organization.
Therefore, it is recommended that organizational leaders allocate time in employees’ schedules
for them to work cooperatively with colleagues and invite them to share team success stories.
This recommendation is consistent with the type of strategies that Fix and Sias (2006) suggest
are important to promoting human relationships and strengthening dynamics between multiple
stakeholder groups.
Perceptions about teamwork and collaboration influence the attitudes and actions of
employees and can either contribute or inhibit group cohesion (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rana,
Ardichvili & Polesello, 2016). Although members of the service-delivery team do not all have
the same job title, survey responses confirmed a significant number of them recognize the
importance of everyone’s role and collective contributions in making progress toward helping
youth successfully complete juvenile probation. Clark and Estes (2008) emphasize that an
organizational culture with positive beliefs about the necessity of having diversity in skills and
abilities represented through teamwork and collaboration promotes confidence in achieving
performance goals. Theoretically, when employees value teamwork and collaboration, they are
more likely to seek the assistance of others when they lack proficiency, experience challenges or
require additional support (Clark and Estes, 2008; Rana, Ardichvili & Polesello, 2016; Rao,
2016).
Cultural settings. Although the relationship between cultural models and cultural
settings are reciprocal, the later is expressed through social contexts and physical environments
that impact practices, behaviors and other visible or concrete actions (Rueda, 2011). Oftentimes,

135
cultural settings are manifestations of cultural models (Rueda, 2011). As illustrated in Table 9
the cultural settings presented are significant because they reflect how the organization provides
the necessary support, funding and resources that encourage the service-delivery team’s goal
achievement.
The first cultural setting that was validated is the organization has a referral, enrollment
and intake process that supports the service-delivery team in planning how to achieve its goal of
deterring youth from committing crime. As discussed by Knowles (1980), adults are goal
oriented and more motivated to participate (and learn) when they see the relevance of
information, a request, or task (the “why”) to their own circumstances. This would suggest that
when organizations have clearly defined work processes it can contribute to goal-directed
performance and enhance the success or effectiveness of a team (Clark, 2003; Clark and Estes,
2008) Therefore, it is recommended that organizational leaders provide at least an annual
opportunity for the service-delivery team to collaboratively examine or question its current work
processes and collectively determine any updates or revisions that may be needed to enhance
efficiency and productivity.
Research has indicated that examining work processes can help produce information that
facilitates organizational learning and advances program evaluations (Arnold and Cater, 2011;
Baizerman, Roholt, Korum, & Rana, 2013; Roth & Brooks-Gunn, 2015). In the field of juvenile
justice, regularly reviewing work processes has assisted organizations with planning the best
approaches for guiding youth toward pro-social behaviors (Bonnie, Johnson, Chemers, &
Schuck; Butts, Bazemore, & Meroe, 2010). As a result of reflective practices, many local
juvenile justice jurisdictions have identified the value of reform and creatively implemented
practices that improve effectiveness, fill service gaps, promote public safety and ultimately

136
empower youth to achieve positive outcomes (Choen, 2002; Task Force on Transforming
Juvenile Justice, 2009; Wolf & Holochwost, 2014; Yoo, 2000). From a theoretical perspective
and based on experiences of the service-delivery team members who contributed to this study, it
would appear that allocating time for the service-delivery team to invest efforts into engaging in
the process of reflection will inform critical decisions about how to enhance existing and future
work processes.
The other cultural setting that was validated is the organization provides resources that
support the service-delivery team in accessing and implementing interventions that are consistent
with its goal of deterring youth from committing crime. The way in which organizations allocate
resources is an important cultural setting consideration because it has a direct impact on the staff
as well as the clients they serve (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Ensuring resource needs of
staff are being met is correlated with increased student learning outcomes (Waters, Marzano &
McNulty, 2003). This principle implies that the availability of resources is an important
consideration in determining how well the service-delivery team is able perform their jobs and
achieve performance outcomes that enhance the quality of life youth they serve. Therefore, it is
recommended that organizational leaders continue receiving input from the service-delivery team
about the resources they need to address and effectively respond to the diverse needs of the youth
they serve.
The service-delivery team has demonstrated the ability to offer input that assists
organizational leaders in understanding the resources needed for the employees to effectively
promote positive youth development and help youth successfully complete their period of
juvenile probation. For example, the organization has policies in place where members of the
service-delivery team can request materials, supplies or assistance for youth and/or their parents

137
to receive resources that reduce barriers to having basic needs met. Based on findings in the
juvenile justice literature that highlight the positive impact that research informed treatment and
rehabilitation models have on youth achievement (Hoge, Guerra & Boxer, 2008, Lipsey and
Howell, 2012) the organization’s investment in resources needed by the service-delivery team
provides the basis for sustaining practices that support the organization’s mission. From a
theoretical perspective, based on theories of change, it would appear that continuing to ensure the
service-delivery team has the resources they believe are meaningful and useful in their respective
jobs would allow performance goals to be sustained while conveying value and respect for the
youth they serve.
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
The New World Kirkpatrick Model is one method of an integrated implementation and
evaluation plan that offers consideration for assessing a training program. With a significant
portion of the budget for the organization that was the subject of his study being dedicated to
human resources and training, investment in an integrated implementation and evaluation plan
can provide a strategy for monitoring and measuring the benefits to professional growth and
development of employees as well as the overall value the training programs bring to the
organization. While research-informed approaches are relevantly embedded into the work
performed by the organization’s service-delivery team, training helps maintain consistency with
how information is retained and applied in practice to promote well-being and reduce recidivism
among juvenile justice-involved youth.
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
In support of the solutions recommended in Table 5, the implementation and evaluation
plan of this study follows the New World Kirkpatrick Model, which helps organizations

138
demonstrate the value of their work by focusing on four levels of training and evaluation
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). In the process of planning a training program, Kirkpatrick
and Kirkpatrick (2016) suggests that pre-planned expectations about desired results are necessary
for determining behavioral benchmarks of internal stakeholders (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016). Therefore, they recommend the sequence for designing an implementation plan begin
with Level 4 and continue in reverse order to Level 1 (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The
implementation and evaluation plan presented in the sections that follow are based on the four
levels of the New World Kirkpatrick framework and helps advance the recommendations from
the knowledge, motivation and organizational influences that had a high probability of being
validated.
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations
The mission of the organization that is the subject of this study focuses on creating paths
of opportunities that empower youth to succeed. The organization operates in partnership with
the local juvenile probation department to provide services to juvenile justice-involved youth,
those who present delinquency risk factors, and their families. The organization’s use of trauma-
informed, strength-based approaches, collaborations and community assets to promote positive
youth development is a research informed juvenile justice intervention that annually helps at
least 90% of the youth served to successfully complete the terms of probation without
reoffending.
As a promising practice model, sustainability is the key to the organization’s future
success in achieving its stakeholder goal of continuing to provide services that help at least 90%
of the youth who participate in the program to complete juvenile probation without committing a
new offense. Based on the researcher’s review of the organization’s publicly available financial

139
records at the time of this study, 80% of funding sources were from at-risk sources, such as
contracts, grants, and other donations. With unexpected shifts in the economy and external
shocks that may influence donor contributions, there is a level of ambiguity that the HH
organization has been able to tolerate while still focusing on meeting the diverse needs of youth
served by the service-delivery team. Although at the time of this study the organization
encountered challenges associated with a natural disaster, they were able to maintain donor
engagement and adjust their efforts with innovative strategies to maintain the integrity of their
program model and demonstrate a level of durability that proved their ability to adapt to
changing economic conditions.
While natural disasters and other sudden shocks can have an impact on the organization’s
funding, the recent event provides an opportunity for evaluating and reflecting on strategies for
leveraging organizational resources for sustainability. Each of the desired results presented at
Level 4 are in direct correlation with the organization’s mission and is intended to maintain the
organization’s strong infrastructure and enhance organizational capacity for continuing to
achieve the stakeholder goal.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
At Level 4 the focus is on results, where leading indicators are tracked to bring attention
to outcomes that occur as a result of training (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Table 10
illustrates the outcomes, metrics and methods for internal and external outcomes. The leading
indicators were inspired by the recommendations that were developed from validated knowledge,
motivation and organizational influences. The leading indicators at Level 4 also provide the basis
for the organization to sustain its efforts and impact without losing focus of the organization’s
mission.

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Table 10. Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Maintain diverse funding
sources to support the
service-delivery team’s
job security
Amount of funds raised
from diverse resource
streams, including public and
private grants, businesses,
and individuals

Monthly review of financial
statements to compare
funding levels against
previous years
Maintain the service-
delivery team’s
collaboration with
juvenile probation and
local law enforcement
Facilitate interactions that
promote sharing information
and resources
Monthly team meetings with
juvenile probation and law
enforcement with an agenda
that includes contributions
from each entity and allows
discussion about successes
and challenges
Continue raising
community awareness of
the service-delivery
team’s work and impact
Number of awareness-raising
approaches used
Monthly review by
organizational leaders to
track baseline versus
benchmark publicity efforts
Continue recruiting and
retaining volunteers to
support the service-
delivery team’s efforts
Number of individuals
volunteering with the
service-delivery team
Monthly review of volunteer
participation documents
Internal Outcomes
Maintain team-based
structure that allows the
service-delivery team to
share leadership
responsibilities,
effectively use resources,
Schedule time for the service-
delivery team to share
information, ideas and
responsibilities
Weekly team meeting with
an agenda that is reflective of
team-building and supports
collaboration

141
and implement creative
problem-solving
Retain knowledge capital
for sustaining the use of
strength-based and
therapeutic approaches
that promote positive
youth development
practices
Monthly professional
development training that
helps the organization
maintain service-delivery
integrity
Observation rubric
Decrease the service-
delivery team’s
vulnerability to burnout
Number of employees that
report regular self-care and
stress management practices
Survey

Level 3: Behavior
Level 3 is labeled as behavior and emphasis is on how employees transfer their learning
to job application (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). At this level, Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
(2016) assert that it is important for behavior change to be reinforced by helping employees
understand and prioritize critical behaviors to achieve targeted outcomes, setting-up required
drivers that encourage support and accountability, and providing on-the-job training. The critical
behaviors highlighted in Table 11 is intended to serve as strategies for achieving the context-
specific knowledge, motivation and organizational recommendations. Kirkpatrick and
Kirkpatrick (2016) discuss the value of limiting the selection of critical behaviors to those that
are most likely to influence the results at Level 4. Therefore the critical behaviors represented in
Table 11 are the ones that were prioritized in support of achieving the Level 4 results.

142
Table 11. Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
Service-delivery team
will demonstrate they
are learning from
response to
intervention data
collection
Number of cases
presented with a
correlating stage of
change from the
evidence-based
Stages of Change
framework, as
presented in the
Transtheoretical
Model of Change
During team
meetings that occur
each week
Weekly
The service-delivery
team will demonstrate
proficiency in using
job aids to support the
implementation of
strength-based
approaches that meet
the current and future
needs of youth
Attendance at
professional
development
trainings
Role plays during
training
Quarterly
The service-delivery
team will use
journaling for
professional
development reflection
(includes topic of
self-care) and
self-evaluation.
The number of
journal entries
completed each week
The supervisor will
meet with each
member of the
service-delivery to
discuss at least one
journal entry from
each category
(professional
development or
self-reflect)
Weekly

143
Service-delivery team
members will actively
recognize and reinforce
colleague behaviors that
demonstrate
responsiveness to the
needs of youth
The number of
behaviors reported
Team recognition
meetings
Monthly
Complete interviews
with members of the
service-delivery team to
acquire testimonials
from youth and their
parents/guardians
The number of
testimonials collected
The publicity team will
compile data and share
with internal and
external stakeholders
Monthly

Required drivers. Drivers are tools that can be used to effectively increase training
outcomes that align with Level 4 results (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Table 12 illustrates
the required drivers that support critical behaviors and are consistent with context-specific
recommendations in the areas of knowledge, motivation and organizational influences. The
following drivers have been identified as influential in the sustainability of the service-delivery
team’s critical performance behaviors: reinforcement, encouragement, rewards and monitoring
for accountability (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). As a shared responsibility between
colleagues, supervisors and the organization, drivers occur to reinforce learning after training
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).

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Table 12. Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing Critical Behaviors
Supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Reinforcing
Peer audit from a colleague to
check whether each case is
correlated with a stage of
change from the evidence-
based Stages of Change
framework, as presented in
the Transtheoretical Model of
Change
Weekly 1
Peer observation of job
performance to check use of
job aids for implementation of
strength-based approaches
Monthly 2
Encouraging
Ensure adequate time is
allocated to for colleagues
and supervisors to provide
feedback about the
testimonials acquired by the
service-delivery team
members

Monthly 5

145
Rewarding
Incentive presentation during
team meetings that positively
reinforce behaviors that
demonstrate service-delivery
team members’
responsiveness to the needs of
youth
Monthly 4
Monitoring
Supervisor will discuss
journal content during
individual meetings with
service-delivery team member
and use a rubric to track
progress
Weekly 3

Organizational support. Based on the recommendations in the organizational table, it is
suspected that the organization will recognize the value of supporting the stakeholders’ critical
behaviors. The organization has a history of providing service-delivery team members with the
necessary resources to support them in meeting the diverse needs of the youth they serve.
Organizational support will play a critical factor in supporting the desired results. Therefore, it is
recommended that the organization’s budget continue to include resources that allow for
incentive programs to be retained or expanded, wellness initiatives to continue, adequate
resources to be made available, employee compensation to meet or exceed market rates and
ongoing investment in publicity efforts that highlight work and impact of the service-delivery
team.

146
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. The next level (Level 2), provides a checkpoint for measuring the
learning that was acquired in training across five domains: knowledge, skill, attitude, confidence
and commitment (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). After implementation of the program, there
are several learning goals that stakeholders need to achieve in order to perform the critical
behaviors that were previously discussed. The goals are as follows:
1. During individual strength-based fidelity interviews, conducted by a supervisor, the
service-delivery team member will demonstrate the ability to apply strength-based
approaches in the process of acquiring knowledge about the needs of youth in the
program from multiple data sources. (Knowledge)
2. Case managers demonstrate the ability to create an ISP that aligns with positive youth
development approaches. (Skill)
3. Support staff on the service-delivery team indicate confidence in identifying and
providing a rationale for implementing strength-based activities that support the ISP.
(Confidence)
4. Value consistent application of practices that are essential to building rapport and
developing an alliance with youth and their parents. (Attitude)
5. Acknowledge a commitment to meaningfully use time allocated in their schedule each
week for professional development reflection and self-evaluation through journaling.
(Commitment)
6. Indicate confidence in the ability to effectively respond to the needs of the youth in the
program. (Confidence)

147
7. Value building rapport and developing an alliance with youth and their parents or
guardians. (Attitude)
8. Acknowledge commitment to the organization’s mission. (Commitment)
9. Acknowledge commitment to teamwork and collaboration.
10. Value the referral, enrollment and intake process. (Attitude)
11. Acknowledge a commitment to utilize multiple data sources to provide resources that
effectively deter youth from committing crime. (Commitment)
Program. The program recommended to the organization, in support of the achievement
of its stakeholder learning goals, is a three-day experiential face-to-face professional
development training series that will take place during the work-day. Historically, the
organization has used recidivism rates to demonstrate it success with implementing trauma-
informed, strength-based approaches to promote positive youth development. What has not been
highlighted about the organization’s work and impact, is how does it achieve its outcomes and to
what extent can the organization reaffirm, enhance or sustain the practice skills of the service-
delivery team.
Based on the knowledge, motivation and organization needs analysis and
recommendations, a total of 15 modules is proposed with each day of training lasting 4 hours. A
total of six modules is proposed for the first day of training and days two and three of the
training would cover five modules on each day. Appendix D provides a list of topics that are
proposed. It is recommended that training sessions are facilitated and co-facilitated by a licensed
professional counselor and a social worker with at least three years of post-graduate work
experience at the MSW level, as both of these individuals would have the knowledge and
practice experience necessary to deliver the program with fidelity. Three weeks prior to the

148
training, participants will receive instructions for completing a pre-course packet. The packet
will include an overview of the modules and a pre-test.
Evaluation of the Components of learning. Table 13 lists the methods or activities that
will be used to evaluate the learning goals. The key components of the program will include the
following areas: declarative knowledge procedural skills, attitude and confidence.
Table 13. Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program.
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Multiple choice knowledge check During the training
Think, share and compare activities During the training
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Case studies and demonstration with role play During the training
Feedback based on peer observations, where
behaviors will be scored with rubrics
During the training
Job aid participant teach back During the training
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Value-based discussions During the training
Journal reflections During and after the training

149
Pre and post Likert scale survey Before and at the end of the training
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Pre and post Likert scale survey Before and at the end of the training
Small group discussions During the training
Journal reflections During and after the training
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Pre and post Likert scale survey Before and at the end of the training
Journal reflections During and after the training

Level 1: Reaction
The final level presented in the New World Kirkpatrick Model is Level 1 and is labeled
reaction (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). At this level, Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016)
stress the importance of considering employees’ perceptions of the training they received. The
training evaluation is learner-centered and captures the extent to which employees found the
training engaging, relevant and satisfying (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Table 14 presents
the components that will be used to measure the service-delivery team’s reactions to the training
program. Engagement, relevance, and customer satisfaction will be measured with the methods
and timing listed.

150
Table 14. Components to Measure Reactions to the Program.
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Attendance sheets

At the end of the workshop
Pause, check and reflect journal check

During the training
Self-evaluation survey with Likert scale

During and after the training
Observations of facilitators

During the training
Relevance
Self-evaluation survey with Likert scale During and after the training
Observations of facilitators During the training
Training evaluation At the end of the workshop and three months
after
Customer Satisfaction
Self-evaluation survey with Likert scale During and after the training

Observations of facilitators

During the training
Training evaluation At the end of the workshop and three months
after

Evaluation Tools
Throughout the training, facilitators will solicit feedback from participants to address any
concerns, check for understanding and determine participant perceptions about whether they are
finding the training experience to be engaging, relevant and satisfying. Facilitators will
incorporate group discussions, role plays and practice exercises to keep participants engaged and
encourage their active participation. Feedback and observations will inform the facilitator’s
responses on the end of course observation sheet (Appendix E). Three evaluation tools will be
used to measure the service-delivery team’s reaction to the program: before starting the training,
at the end of the training and three months after training.

151
Three weeks prior to the training, participants will receive a pre-training packet that will
include an overview of the training (Appendix D) and pre-survey (Appendix E). The pre-survey
will help establish a baseline of participants knowledge about the topics before the training. The
same survey will be administered after the last module to identify learning gains. The Blended
Evaluation approach presented by Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) was used to create the
survey instruments for participant reactions to the training content at the end of the training and
three-months following the training. Throughout the training, facilitators will solicit feedback
from participants to address any concerns, check for understanding and determine participant
perceptions about whether they are finding the training experience to be engaging, relevant and
satisfying.
Immediately following the program implementation. At the end of the training,
participants will be asked to complete a post-training survey (Appendix E) and an end of training
reaction survey (Appendix F). The post-training survey will help identify to what extent the
content reaffirmed existing knowledge or provided an opportunity to learned new information.
To capture, additional information on learning experiences, an observation sheet will be
completed by the session facilitators (Appendix H). The observation sheet will be shared with
supervisors to help facilitate discussions to reduce transfer barriers and encourage continued
practice with knowledge and skills that were reinforced or acquired through the training
experienced.
Delayed for a period after the program implementation. Three months following the
training, another survey (Appendix G) will be administered to the participants for feedback about
their work experiences since the completion of the training. The survey focuses on gathering data
on how they applied their learning (Level 3), the extent to which they believe positive outcomes

152
have occurred as a result of applying what they learned (Level 4), the degree of confidence and
commitment they have to continue using the knowledge and skills that were reinforced or
acquired from the training (Level 2) and provide another opportunity to share observations of
their overall satisfaction with the training they received (Level 1).
Data Analysis and Reporting
After the administration of immediate and delayed instruments, findings will be reported
with a tracking table (Table 15) and tracking chart (Chart 1) to provide information that supports
monitoring and accountability. Each month, organizational leaders should update the tracking table
and tracking chart. Table 14 and Chart 1 provide an example of what results might occur. If
practices are implemented according to the proposed recommendations, it is expected that the
organization would reach Result 1 after the first month and continuing to make progress toward
reaching Results 2 and 3. It is suggested that results be compiled quarterly and a final report be
created from the data annually.

153
Table 15. Level 4 Tracking Table
Behavior/Result

Target Benchmark Baseline Status/Progress
1. Maintain
consistency and
frequency of team
meetings that focus
on team-building and
supports collaboration
by allowing the
service-delivery team
time in their schedule
to share information,
ideas and
responsibilities
At least 90 minutes
reported on each
employees
timesheet for team
meetings each
week
Time allocations
for weekly
meetings vary
On target with
benchmark
2. Retain
knowledge capital for
sustaining the use of
strength-based and
therapeutic
approaches that
promote positive
youth development
practices

At least 120
minutes allocated to
professional
development
training on
employees
timesheet each
month
Time allocations
vary
90% of the
employees had 120
minutes allocated to
professional
development

10% of the
employees had fewer
than 120 minutes
allocated to
professional
development training

154
3. Decrease the
service-delivery
team’s vulnerability
to burnout
A total of 100% of
employees
complete survey on
self-care and stress
management
practices

No data 95% of the
employees completed
the survey

Chart 1. Level 4 Tracking Chart

Summary
Research indicates the use of practice evaluations are underutilized in organizations
providing both clinical and non-clinical services to youth and families (Baker, 2010). The use of
the New World Kirkpatrick Model allows for the organization to implement a strategic approach
for planning, implementing and evaluating training recommendations for the service-delivery

155
team to reaffirm and enhance their current performance (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). With
90% of the youth who are served by the organization’s community-based program successfully
completing their period of probation without re-offending, the organization has been able to
support statistical outcomes with anecdotal data captured in sentiments of youth, parent or
guardians of youth, juvenile court judges, police chiefs, juvenile probation chiefs and other
leaders in the community.
Although the organization has documented evidence of regularly providing professional
development opportunities to the service-delivery team, it was not confirmed whether the
organization hasa strategic evaluation of the training programs to determine the degree of
training transfer to practice. As a promising practice model, the organization’s continued use of
the New World Kirkpatrick Model along with consideration of knowledge, motivation and
organizational influences can inform future decisions that impact the organization’s social
mission and long-term survival.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach
There have been variety of research methods used to bring attention to practices that are
effective in improving outcomes for juvenile justice-involved youth (Howell, 2009; Lipsey,
2009). This study focused on a case study approach to examine the perspectives of practitioners
who work in an organization that has been recognized for its 32-year history of collaborating
with the juvenile justice system to reduce recidivism and improve the lives of vulnerable youth.
With an understanding that all inquiry methods have inherent strengths and weaknesses, an
applied approach using the Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analysis conceptual framework allowed
the researcher to gather qualitative data for examining knowledge, motivational, and
organizational (KMO) influences that impacted a service-delivery team’s ability to implement a

156
promising practice model. The Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analysis was a useful framework for
this study, as it is a research-informed model that has been applied to practices settings in a
number of disciplines to enhance performance and achievement of organizational goals.
Through personal reflections that were shared in survey responses and a focus group
discussion with individuals who completed the initial survey, the researcher was able to identify
assets that drive a high performing service-delivery team to produce results in the context of
strategic partnerships with local juvenile justice jurisdictions. The KMO influences that were
validated contribute to the existing literature that promotes therapeutic philosophies for diverting
and intervening in the lives of youth who become involved in the juvenile justice system.
Insights shared from the service-delivery team can also inform future approaches to examine
KMO influences of other organizations that may build or strengthen the capacity of juvenile
probation departments. While the KMO influences validated key drivers of the service-delivery’s
achievement of its performance goal, the Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analysis approach was
complimented by the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) New World Kirkpatrick Model, which
supported recommendations that aligned with the learning culture of the organization that was
studied.
A weakness of this approach is that perspectives of the service-delivery team members
who participated in the study was a small sample compared to the number of individuals who
work in the organization. The perspectives of those who participated in the study reported
interest in going the “extra mile” at work. Given that participation in the study was voluntary and
not part of regular work assignments, it could be concluded that the service-delivery team
members who participated in the study were more inclined to participate because of intrinsic
motivation. Another weakness of this approach was that as a promising practice model, the

157
researcher’s interest focused on assets that have contributed to the service-delivery team’s
performance and did not comprehensively evaluate factors that could derail goal achievement in
the future.
Future Research

Given the high prevalence of trauma among juvenile justice-involved youth (Abram, et
al, 2013; Dierkhising, et al, 2013; Espinosa & Sorensen, 2016) and the stakeholder group’s
ability to articulate how their recognition of adverse childhood experiences warrant use of
therapeutic, research-informed practices, future research may examine the extent to which non-
profit organizations who work in partnership with juvenile probation departments have
knowledge, motivational and organizational resources to implement interventions that are
consistent with developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed approaches that promote positive
youth development. With the collaborative nature of the work performed by the service-delivery
team, it was mentioned that there may are times when they share knowledge with other
stakeholders, particularly juvenile court judges and juvenile probation. Future research may
focus on whether trauma-informed operating principles are consistently applied across various
systems that may intersect with the lives of youth who are involved with the juvenile justice
system.
One trauma-informed model that has provided value to service-providers as well as
caregivers of youth who have experienced complex developmental trauma is Trust-based
Relational Intervention (TBRI). This practical, research-informed and cost-effective model offers
a set of comprehensive theoretical principles that can address attachment needs through
connecting principles that promote building and maintaining healthy relationships, meet
physiological needs through empowering principles that offer a safe and predictable

158
environment, and disarm fear-based survival behaviors through correcting principles (Purvis, et
al, 2013). Future research may examine the value of implementing TBRI as a trauma-informed
approach that provides youth with access to adults who are trauma-informed across a variety of
systems, including law enforcement, courts, juvenile probation, schools, child welfare,
residential facilities, and other youth-serving organizations.
With consideration of the challenges the service-delivery team shared about the nature of
their work and the occupational stress they are able to manage through self-care practices, future
research may focus on identifying strategies for promoting wellness and retention strategies to
maintain a level of commitment, enthusiasm and engagement for sustaining the integrity of
trauma-informed, strength-based. culturally competent models in the context of the juvenile
justice system. A key finding in this study was the organization’s wellness program offers a
unique benefit to the service-delivery team. As a strategy used by the organization to promote a
culture of health and fitness, future research might focus on whether wellness programs provide
a return on investment for employees, the organization and other critical stakeholders who
depend on a healthy, productive, high performing workforce for public safety and closing
opportunity gaps among juvenile justice-involved youth.
Conclusion

In conclusion a healthy and hopeful workforce is critical to helping an organization
achieve its mission. This study relied on credible practitioners to share their perspectives about
enabling factors that encourage them to achieve their performance goal of reducing recidivism
rates among juvenile justice-involved youth by helping at least 90% of the youth they serve to
complete juvenile probation without committing a new offense. The organization’s 32-year
history provided a strong reference and reminder of how at the core of any helping intervention

159
is the ability for practitioners to have a mindful awareness of how to help others, particularly
when working in practice settings with juvenile justice-involved youth, by first helping
themselves achieve the necessary competencies to implement research-informed practices with
integrity.
With well-documented evidence about the trauma and adverse childhood histories that
drive youth into the juvenile justice system, professionals working at all levels of the juvenile
justice system are positioned to use trauma-informed strength-based practices to put youth on a
trajectory of hope or they can use punitive and retributive practices to further perpetuate the
hardships that fuel behaviors toward a trajectory of hopelessness. In a workplace environment
where there is high vulnerability to vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout, the
perspectives of the service-delivery team that were captured in this study demonstrated how
knowledge, motivational and organizational factors can influence and sustain high performance
for putting some of the most vulnerable youth in communities on a trajectory of hope for a
brighter future.
As once observed by the late co-founder of Trust-based Relational Intervention (TBRI),
“We can only lead a child to a place of healing if we know the way ourselves.” From the findings
of this study, it is clear that the service-delivery team of HH has been able to consistently put at
least 90% of the juvenile justice-involved youth they serve on a trajectory of hope because they
know the way and have a proven track record that trauma-informed, strength-based practices are
effective in helping youth and families improve their lives.

160
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184
APPENDIX A
Questionnaire Items
Instructions: Please select the answer choice that best reflects your opinion and provide detailed
responses in the other areas where prompted. This is an anonymous survey and there are no
wrong answers. Please answer each question.
DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

1. What is your job title?
2. Do you work directly with youth?
3. How long have you been employed with Southwest Key?

Knowledge Influences

4. How often are you confident in your ability to treat every client like they have the potential
to be successful and do well?

Always Almost Always Sometimes Almost Never Never

Please provide an example or comments that support your position:

5. Who in your organization plays an important role in inspiring and encouraging youth to
achieve successful outcomes?

6. What are the most significant youth issues you have been made aware of through your
work with the organization?

7. What specific types of approaches are being implemented by your organization?

8. How often do you feel confident in these approaches?

Always Almost Always Sometimes Almost Never Never

9. Share two examples about children (do not include names) who you believe your
organization played an important role in inspiring and encouraging them to achieve
successful outcomes. Include: Brief description of the child; types of problems or barriers
the child experienced (before and during involvement with your organization); Results or
outcomes that occurred that demonstrate the child was inspired or encouraged to achieve
successful outcomes.

10. What have you learned from the youth who did not successfully commit juvenile probation
without committing a new offense?

185

11. I have a strong understanding of strength-based principles of practice
and apply them on a regular basis in my professional practice.

Always Almost Always Sometimes Almost Never Never

Please provide an example or comments that support your position:

Motivational Influences

12. Why did you get involved in working in this organization? What were your expectations?

13. In your organization’s mission, it indicates that your organization opens doors to
opportunity so individuals can achieve their dreams. How do your personal beliefs compare
with the mission of the organization?

14. What has motivated you to stay involved with the organization for the length of time that
you have been there?

15. What are the current and potential benefits or rewards you get from the job that you do?

16. Describe the type of resources and support that your organization provides to help you
perform your job.

17. How often do you do extra work or contribute to the organization in ways that go beyond
the minimum requirements of your job?

Always Almost Always Sometimes Almost Never Never

Please provide an example or comments that support your position:

18. Describe the most satisfying aspects of your work?
19. Describe an accomplishment you have achieved in your job that you believe has
contributed to the organization’s ability to help youth successfully complete juvenile
probation without committing a new offense.

20. What do you believe are the key factors to avoiding complacency in your work with youth
on probation?

21. How do you prevent from experiencing burnout in your job?

22. Describe how your current position related to your career goals at the time you became
employed with the organization.

23. How does your position relate to your career goals now?

186

24. How often do you feel confident in your ability to problem-solve efficiently when
unexpected events occur?

Always Almost Always Sometimes Almost Never Never

Organizational Influences

25. What has kept you working on the organization’s service-delivery team for the length of
time you have been involved?

26. What would keep you in your job longer?

27. What are three most significant influences that have contributed to your tenure and
involvement with the organization?

28. Looking back on the professional development experiences and training you have
completed within the last 24 months, to what degree would you state those experiences and
training prepared you to provide youth with the opportunity to develop, contribute and be
valued as assets?
a. Strongly Agree
b. Agree
c. Neither Agree or Disagree
d. Disagree
e. Strongly Disagree

29. Who has important input about what is going on with the clients in your organization?

30. Where do you share information about clients’ success in your organization? Select all that
apply.
a. Team meetings
b. One-to-one with peer co-workers
c. One-to-one with supervisor
d. One-to-one with people outside of the organization
i. Juvenile Probation
ii. Parents
iii. Others: Please list
e. Email to peer co-workers
f. Email to supervisor
g. Document in case notes
h. Document in
o Other Location: Please name the location
i. Board meetings
j. Social media
k. Other: Please list

187

31. Where do you share information about clients’ setbacks or challenges in your organization?
Select all that apply.
a. Team meetings
b. One-to-one with peer co-workers
c. One-to-one with supervisor
d. One-to-one with people outside of the organization
i. Juvenile Probation
ii. Parents
iii. Others: Please list
e. Email to peer co-workers
f. Email to supervisor
g. Document in case notes
h. Document in
o Other Location: Please name the location
i. Board meetings
j. Other:
i. Please list

32. What are they key practices your organization implements that is useful in supporting you
in your work?

33. What advice would you give to a person who might fill your position after you leave or
retire from the organization?

34. Based on your work experiences, what recommendations would you give to another
organization as it relates to working with juvenile justice-involved youth?

35. If you had the opportunity to change your job title to something you thought was
meaningful and based on the work you do, what would you name your position? Why?

36. What do you believe has caused youth to make positive changes in their lives while
enrolled in the program?

37. For youth who do not successfully complete juvenile probation without committing a new
offense while enrolled in the organization, what do you believe interfered with their
completion?

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APPENDIX B
Focus Group Protocol
Materials:
• 1 recording device

Talking Points for Moderating the Group:

Welcome
• Good afternoon and welcome to our focus group session. Thank you for taking time in
advance of our meeting today to complete a consent form and agreeing to participate in
this study. Today’s focus group will last approximately one hour.
• As the moderator, I will guide the discussion.
• I am in hearing your valuable opinion about your role as a service-delivery team member
at your organization.
• In this project, we are doing both a questionnaire and focus group discussion. The reason
for using both of these tools is to gather as much in-depth information as possible. This
focus group will allows us to explore topics from the questionnaire in more detail.

Introduction to the Topic & Confidentiality Reminder
• Your organization is being studied to help better understand practices that are being used
with juvenile justice-involved youth. The goal of today’s focus group is to learn more
about your role and experiences on the organization’s service-delivery team.
• You may refuse to answer any question or withdraw from the study at anytime.
• Today’s session will be recorded. However, in an effort to maintain confidentiality, your
name will not be associated with anything you say in the focus group for the research
findings. All participants are asked to respect each other's confidentiality, and do not
discuss today’s session outside of our time together in the focus group.
• The focus group is being recorded to accurately capture the thoughts, opinions, and ideas
from the group. You have each been assigned a number, as names will not be attached to
the focus group comments. The recording will be deleted after it has been transcribed.
• The transcribed version will support data collection and analysis. As a validation
technique, analyzed results from the focus group will be emailed to participants. Each
participant will be asked to check for accuracy and resonance with each their experience
in the focus group. This will allow an opportunity for participants to confirm or clarify
content before data is analyzed.

Guidelines & Information for the Group

• During our time in today’s focus group, please note the following:
o We are learning from you! There are no right or wrong answers, and differing
points of view may be shared. We are here to gather information and it is not
necessary to reach a consensus.
o Listen respectfully as others share their views

189
o Everyone has consented for the session to be recorded but names will not be used
during the session.
o Each participant has been assigned a number. Before you comment be sure to
state your number and if you reference anyone else in the group be sure that you
reference them by the number that has been assigned.
o One person speak at a time. You have been provided with a note card and pen to
write thoughts or questions that may arise while someone else is speaking. If time
permits, we will have further discussion at the end of the session about the
comments on your note card.
• Are there any questions before we start?

Discussion begins…….
Focus Group Questions
1. Let’s begin our discussion with hearing comments from you about your role with the
organization. Without thinking about your job description, in your own words, describe
your role in the organization and the work that you do.

2. What obstacles have you encountered in your job and how did you overcome them?

3. Describe how interactions with your team members have contributed to youth
successfully completing probation without committing new offenses.

4. What are the challenges you experience in working with the youth served by the
organization? How have you responded to those challenges?

5. What have you learned from the challenges in your work with juvenile justice-involved
youth?

6. If youth do not participate in the services or activities offered by the organization, what
do they miss out on?

7. What are the broader issues, beyond juvenile probation, that you believe are significant to
improving the lives of the youth you work with?

8. What keeps you going when you experience difficulties in your work?

9. What do you believe are the barriers to youth completing juvenile probation without
committing a new offense?

10. What do you believe youth need most once they complete their participation in the
programs offered by the organization and juvenile probation?

11. Describe your relationship with juvenile probation. How does the relationship impact
your organization’s performance?

190

12. How do you define success of each youth who participates in the program?

Focus Group Questions End…….

Closing Comments by the Moderator:

• Thank you so much for your participation today. I really appreciate all the thoughts and
opinions that were shared. This concludes our focus group.

191
APPENDIX C
Document & Artifact Analysis Protocol
The following documents and artifacts were examined to identify the knowledge (K),
motivational (M) and organizational (O) influences that are relevant to the stakeholder’s
performance goal:
o Website content (M & O)
o Media content from news outlets (M & O)
o Website content and reports (O)
o Promising Practices Toolkit (K)

Key Questions

Type of Document?

Significance to Research
Questions: How does this
document answer one or more of
the research questions?

Date?

How does the document relate to
the portion of the organization’s
mission?

How does the document relate to
the portion of the organization’s
mission about inspiring youth
achieve their dreams?

Is the document written or
electronic?

Public or Private?

Author?

Audience?

192

Main Idea(s)

Supporting Quotes

Purpose of the Document

What questions does the
document raise?

Other Notes (i.e., special
markings, what’s missing, etc.)

193
Appendix D
Training Overview
Day 1
Module 1: Welcome, training overview, agenda, team building exercise
Module 2: Practitioner Reflection & Self-Evaluation with Journaling
Module 3: Organizational mission, philosophy & Values (including teamwork &
collaboration)
o How do your personal values compare to those of the organization?
Module 4: Overview of ethical Principles Adopted by the organization from the
NASW Code of Ethics
o How do your personal values compare to those of the NASW Code of
Ethics
Module 5: Closing comments, journal reflection & training evaluation

Day 2
Module 6: Welcome, agenda, team building exercise.
Module 7: Case flow processes and procedures (referral, enrollment, intake, case assignment,
case planning & intervention strategies, client contracts, probation completion,
ongoing relational strategies and reinforcement)
Module 8: Essential Practices of Building rapport and developing an alliance with youth and
their parents
Overview of Positive Youth Development(PYD) and Risk & Protective Factors
Module 9: How do strength-based approaches fit into the PYD Framework
Module 10: Closing comments, journal reflection & training evaluation

Day 3
Module 11: Welcome, agenda, team building exercise
Module 12: Strength-based Approaches, Techniques & Documentation
Module 13: Acquiring Knowledge to Inform Interventions that Address the Needs of Youth
Module 14: Effective vs. Ineffective Responses to Youth Needs
Effective vs. Ineffective Use of Resources
Module 15: Closing comments, journal reflection & training evaluation (40)

*Three professional development training sessions at 4 hours each session.

194
Appendix E
Pre-Training or Post-Training (Circle appropriate one)
Survey
Your feedback is important. Please answer the questions below based on your opinion. There are
no wrong answers. The responses you provide will help with deciding how the learning
environment of future training sessions are constructed.
Rating Scale Key
Strongly = 1
Disagree
Disagree = 2 Neutral = 3 Agree = 5 Strongly = 5
Agree

Circle One
1. I believe I am current on new research developments 1 2 3 4 5
about effective interventions with juvenile justice
involved youth.

2. Are the training topics relevant to your position? 1 2 3 4 5

3. It is important to engage in professional discourse about 1 2 3 4 5
effective practices of juvenile justice practitioners.

4. I see value in participating in interdisciplinary learning 1 2 3 4 5
experiences that allow me to integrate knowledge from
several disciplines into my practice is useful.

5. I understand risk and protective factors that impact positive 1 2 3 4 5
youth development outcomes.

6. I believe it is important to use the strengths of my clients as 1 2 3 4 5
a basis for supporting their growth and view their mistakes
as learning opportunities.

7. When making service-delivery decisions about clients, I 1 2 3 4 5
believe it is important to consider factors associated with
their physical, social, moral, and cognitive development.

195

8. I believe it is important for juvenile justice practitioners 1 2 3 4 5
to persist in helping all children on their caseload succeed.

9.Rapport building is an essential building block to effective 1 2 3 4 5
outcomes with juvenile justice-involved youth.

10. I see the value in using strength-based approaches to inspire 1 2 3 4 5
youth to improve their lives in ways that are meaningful,
productive, healthy and sustainable.

11. Collaboration is important to effectively acquiring 1 2 3 4 5
knowledge and resources to address the diverse needs of
juvenile justice-involved youth.

12. I believe that professional development and consultation 1 2 3 4 5
is important to my growth as a learner.

13. Before you are assigned a case, what are specific activities 1 2 3 4 5
that occur with youth and their parent/guardian?

14. What is the mission of the organization? 1 2 3 4 5

15. Describe the self-reflection practices that you 1 2 3 4 5
believe are necessary to improve or enhance your job
performance?

16. Discuss what you know about your organization’s 1 2 3 4 5
mission, history, philosophy and values.

17. What is the name of the set of ethical principles your organization has adopted?

18. What are the six core values of the ethical principles that has been adopted by your
organization?

196
Appendix F

End of Training Reaction Survey

Your feedback is important. Please answer the questions below based on your opinion. There are
no wrong answers. The responses you provide will help with deciding how the learning
environment of future training sessions are constructed.

Rating Scale Key

Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Neutral = 3 Agree = 5 Strongly Agree = 5

Circle One

1. Overall, the training was beneficial to my work. 1 2 3 4 5
Please explain:

2. The training exercises were useful in helping me practice 1 2 3 4 5
skills that are needed to perform my job.

3. I understand how to apply the information I learned or 1 2 3 4 5
already knew on the job.

4. I was actively engaged and participated throughout the 1 2 3 4 5
training.
Please explain:

5. The hands-on format and group practice activities helped 1 2 3 4 5
me to have a positive learning experience.
Please explain:

6. Which of the following best describes your confidence in applying what you learned in
training to your job? (circle one)
Not confident Somewhat confident Unsure Confident Extremely confident

7. Which of the following best describes your commitment to continue applying what you
learned in training to your job? (circle one)
Not committed Somewhat committed Unsure Committed Extremely Committed

8. How did the training reinforce information you already knew?

9. Of the topics covered today, describe the ones you would like to know more about.

10. Please share any other comments you would like to make about how future trainings can be
improved to further support your learning and professional development?

197
Appendix G
Three-month Post-training Follow-up Survey
Your feedback is important. Please answer the questions below based on your opinion. There are
no wrong answers. The responses you provide will help with deciding topics of future training
sessions and determining what resources or support might be useful to you.

1. What positive outcomes have you experienced since your application of the training
content into your practice?

2. What barriers have you experienced in applying the skills you learned during the
training?

3. Since your participation in the training, how are you incorporating information you
learned or were reminded during the training into your job?

4. How are you using content from the training on the job?

5. As a result of what you learned or were reminded during the training, what are some of
the new things you are doing on the job?

6. As a result of what you learned or were reminded during the training, what are some of
the things you have stopped doing on the job?

7. As a result of what you learned or were reminded during the training, what are some of
the things you are continuing to do on the job?

8. Which of the following best describes your commitment to continue applying what you
learned in training to your job? (circle one)
Not committed Somewhat committed Unsure Committed Extremely Committed

9. Which of the following best describes your confidence in applying what you learned in
training to your job? (circle one)
Not confident Somewhat confident Unsure Confident Extremely confident

10. Please share any other comments you would like to make about how future trainings can be
improved to further support your learning and professional development?

198
Appendix H
Facilitator Observation Sheet
Facilitator: _______________________________ Participant: _____________________
Rating Scale Key

Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Neutral = 3 Agree = 5 Strongly Agree = 5

Circle One

1. Participant was actively engaged and participated 1 2 3 4 5
throughout the training.
Please explain:

2. During breakout discussions, participant 1 2 3 4 5
stayed on topic with relevant information.

3. Participant worked collaboratively with group members 1 2 3 4 5
throughout the training.

4. Participant used reflection time to record journal entries 1 2 3 4 5
during the time allotted.

5. Participant comments and body language during the 1 2 3 4 5
training was congruent with reactions that convey
satisfaction with the content learned.

6. Participant completed written practice exercises. 1 2 3 4 5

7. Presentations and teach backs demonstrated participants 1 2 3 4 5
knowledge and skill.

8. The participant seems on track to transfer learning to their 1 2 3 4 5
job.

9. Describe overall observations of the participant’s reaction to the training environment.

10. What suggestions do you have for improving the learning environment of future trainings?

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify knowledge, motivational and organizational influences that supported the promising practices of an organization that has reduced recidivism rates of youth whose lives have intersected with the juvenile justice system. Through a qualitative case study design, the researcher gathered data from publicly available documents as well as from representatives of a service-delivery team in a non-profit organization who shared their perspectives through a questionnaire and a focus group. Findings from this study provided insight into how an organization’s service-delivery team operationalized trauma-informed, strength-based practices to shift the trajectory of juvenile justice-involved youth from one of continued hardships to hope. Further research is recommended for use of a gap analysis framework to identify knowledge, motivational and organizational factors that can be considered in improving juvenile recidivism. Other topics recommended for further research in the context of the juvenile justice system are implementation of trauma-informed operating principles, such as Trust-based Relational Intervention, and wellness strategies that best support workforce sustainability.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Avery, Angeliqueca (author)

Core Title Transforming hardships into hope for juvenile justice-involved youth: a promising practice case study

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 09/17/2020

Defense Date 09/15/2020

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag juvenile justice,OAI-PMH Harvest,recidivism,service-delivery,strength-based,trauma-informed

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Mora-Flores, Eugenia (committee chair), Hasan, Angela “Laila” (committee member), Kaplan, Sandra (committee member)

Creator Email angeliea@usc.edu,infinite.potential@live.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-371142

Unique identifier UC11665991

Identifier etd-AveryAngel-8961.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-371142 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-AveryAngel-8961.pdf

Dmrecord 371142

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Avery, Angeliqueca

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA