Introduction
The Strengthening Relationship Education and Marriage Services (STREAMS) evaluation is a random assignment impact study and in-depth process study of five Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) grantees funded by the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA). To maximize its contributions to the evidence base and to inform future program and evaluation design, STREAMS is examining the full range of populations served by HMRE programs, including adult individuals, adult couples, and youth in high schools. Each STREAMS site functions as a separate study within the larger evaluation, with each addressing a distinct research question.
This process study report presents findings on the development and implementation of Career STREAMS, an integrated HMRE and employment program designed to serve young adult individuals, ages 18 to 30, in St. Louis Missouri. Career STREAMS includes three primary components: (1) a two-week full-time workshop that integrates the Within My Reach curriculum with content from a Department of Labor funded job and career advancement (JCA) program; (2) individualized case management and job development; and (3) a series of five weekly booster sessions after the end of two-week workshop.
Developed by Family and Workforce Centers of America (FWCA), Career STREAMS builds on Pathways, an existing Department of Labor-funded pre-employment training program. To develop Career STREAMS, FWCA integrated material from Within My Reach, a popular HMRE curriculum for individual adults who may or may not be in romantic relationships, with Pathway’s pre-employment training curriculum. Career STREAMS participants receive case management and job development services from Pathways’ staff.
The STREAMS impact evaluation is investigating the effectiveness of Career STREAMS. Key outcomes of interest include participants’ communication and conflict management skills, the number of romantic and sexual partners, incidents of intimate partner violence, unplanned pregnancies, employment and earnings, and mental health and well-being.
Purpose
This process study examines (1) preparations for program implementation (including documenting the process for integrating the HMRE curriculum and JCA program); (2) procedures for hiring, training, and supervising frontline staff; (3) the extent to which Within My Reach was implemented with fidelity; and (4) participants’ engagement with and responsiveness to the program.
Key Findings and Highlights
Findings from this process study will provide context and help interpret impact evaluation findings. Key findings are:
- By targeting job seekers, FWCA could recruit individuals in need of both employment services and HMRE programming. FWCA targeted low-income, young adult job seekers interested in employment services and education and training opportunities. Although potential Career STREAMS participants did not typically come seeking HMRE services, nearly all participants reported being in a relationship at the time of enrollment or in the prior year. Moreover, more than half had children, indicating a potential co-parenting relationship with a current or former partner. During interviews, staff reported that initially some participants expressed apprehension about the HMRE content, but many found it valuable after a few sessions. Focus group participants described similar sentiments.
- Participants found the HMRE content relevant for a wide range of family, workplace, and romantic relationships. Within My Reach was well suited to Career STREAMS’ target population. The curriculum’s focus on equipping individuals to develop healthy relationships, recognize relationship danger signs, and understand how relationship choices affect other spheres of life was highly relevant to young adults making important decisions about careers, education, and other life choices. Because most participants were not in serious romantic relationships at the time they participated in the program, an HMRE curriculum that required participation with a partner would not have been appropriate. Focus group participants reported using the new communication and conflict management skills they developed in a variety of relationships.
- Career STREAMS’ young adult participants needed substantial support to complete the two-week workshop. FWCA enrolled a high-need population of young adult, low-income job seekers who needed substantial support to attend workshop sessions. Just over 60 percent of participants completed the majority of two-week workshop sessions (at least 8 out of 10 sessions). Focus group participants reported that their relationships with the facilitator and peers significantly motivated them to attend the workshop sessions. Nevertheless, many needed the transportation and child care supports offered by the program to attend. Opportunities to make up missed sessions were critical for helping participants complete the workshop. Although the program offered make-ups sessions to any participants who missed a session, the data suggest that those participants who attended more sessions in the first week were more likely to take advantage of the make-up opportunities.
- The timing of the booster sessions yielded low participation in that portion of the program. In contrast to the two-week workshop, attendance at booster sessions was relatively low. Only 38 percent of Career STREAMS participants attended at least four of the five booster sessions offered. Moreover, almost half of the participants did not attend any booster sessions. For some participants, the schedule for the booster sessions (switching from daily to weekly sessions offered at various times of day) limited their ability to participate regularly. Focus group participants reported finding the content valuable, but said the schedule sometimes conflicted with work, school, or child care responsibilities. For these participants, booster sessions conflicted with other obligations. Career STREAMS staff and the TA provider noted that participants seemed to believe the booster sessions were optional, which contributed to low participation.
Methods
This report is based on analysis of data from the following three sources, collected to document Career STREAMS’s first year of operation (August 2016 – September 2017).
1. Semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations. We conducted a three-day site visit in October 2017. We interviewed 10 Career STREAMS and partner staff, observed two sessions of Career STREAMS, and held two focus groups with a total of 10 participants who had attended the workshop.
2. Information, Family Outcomes, Reporting, and Management (nFORM) data. nFORM was the client management system that OFA provided to Career STREAMS and the other OFA grantees. Career STREAMS staff entered workshop and case management attendance records in the system. After each workshop session, Career STREAMS facilitators completed a short self-assessment about their ability to deliver that day’s planned content and engage participants. We analyzed nFORM data on 207 participants who enrolled from August 2016 to September 2017.
3. STREAMS baseline survey. Participants completed a baseline survey administered during their intake appointment. We analyzed survey responses from 412 participants who enrolled and completed the survey from August 2016 to September 2017.
Citation
Friend, Daniel, Heather Zaveri, and Kathleen Feeney. (2020). Implementation of Career STREAMS: An integrated employment and healthy relationship program for young adults. OPRE Report # 2020-80. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.