IDEAS from the Field: A Case Study of the Healthy Visions Program

Publication Date: June 17, 2019
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IDEAS from the Field: A Case Study of the Healthy Visions Program Cover

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  • Published: 2019

Introduction

Research Questions

  1. What are the key features and content of Healthy Visions? How is the program model intended to operate and affect youth?
  2. How is Healthy Visions structured and implemented in practice, and how does the delivery of its activities and content vary across settings and target populations?
  3. What lessons learned by the program may be important for other practitioners and policy makers?

This brief spotlights Healthy Visions, a Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grantee in Cincinnati, Ohio. Healthy Visions, like other SRAE grant-funded programs, aims to teach adolescents to avoid sexual activity while also providing education and support related to personal responsibility, self-regulation, goal setting, healthy relationships, focusing on the future, and drug and alcohol avoidance. This case study of Healthy Visions is part of the Youth Empowerment Information, Data Collection, and Exploration on Avoidance of Sex (IDEAS) project, overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in collaboration with the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. Data collected for this brief include program documents, interviews, and observations during multiple days on site at Healthy Visions.

Purpose

The case study describes the program model used by Healthy Visions, a SRAE grantee in Cincinnati, Ohio. Healthy Visions uses multiple program components and curricula to serve a diverse population of public school youth in urban, rural, and suburban settings, as well as pre-adjudicated youth in a detention center. The case study describes the implementation of an SRAE program, and can help inform the identification of age-appropriate strategies, skills, messages, and themes that may resonate with youth on topics related to sexual risk avoidance, teen pregnancy prevention, and youth well-being.

Key Findings and Highlights

  • The Healthy Visions program implements a combination of Choosing the Best (CtB) and TYRO Rites of Passage curricula. By training staff on both CtB and TYRO ROP, Healthy Visions can customize programming to meet the needs of diverse program settings and populations.
  • Healthy Visions facilitators are young, college-educated professionals who act as motivational speakers, role models, and “program messengers.” The program prepares its facilitators to implement the curricula through intensive training, shadowing, regular team meetings, and continual feedback.
  • Healthy Visions staff use a “Real Talk” approach to engage youth and foster relationships with them based on trust, honesty, and respect.

Methods

Mathematica conducted the case study through a site visit, classroom observations, and a review of program documents. Mathematica staff spent multiple days on site, conducting semi-structured interviews with staff from Healthy Visions, three participating high schools, and the Hamilton County Youth Detention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mathematica staff also conducted observations in two schools. The team interviewed eight program staff and nine school- or community-based staff using separate interview guides designed to capture various elements of program design and implementation. The team examined and synthesized the information collected across respondents in the development of this brief.

Citation

McDonald, Kim, Alicia Meckstroth, and Susan Zief (2019). “IDEAS from the Field: A Case Study of the Healthy Visions Program.” OPRE Report #2019-13. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Glossary

SRAE:
Sexual Risk Avoidance Education
IDEAS:
Youth Empowerment Information, Data Collection, and Exploration on Avoidance of Sex project
CtB:
Choosing the Best
TYRO ROP:
TYRO Rites of Passage