Recognition of Community-Based Youth Programming in Counseling Psychology Journals: A 30-Year Analysis

As a field, counseling psychology distinguishes itself through its values of building on client strengths, developmentally-informed and preventative approaches to treatment, social justice efforts to confront individual and systemic oppression, and treatment of individuals across the lifespan. Community-based youth programs offer a culturally-responsive way to advocate for and challenge the systemic inequities faced by youth today. Despite the connections between counseling psychology values and community-based programs, it is unclear how, and to what extent, the field has contributed to this literature. To address this issue, we conducted a content analysis of the three major counseling psychology journals to determine how community-based youth programs have been represented in the field. From January 1990 to March 2019 only 10 articles were published about community-based youth programming, representing only .17% of the articles published during that time period. Implications and future direction for researchers, journals, and the field as a whole are addressed.

“We, as Parents, Do Have a Voice”: Learning from Community-Based Programs Effectively Engaging Parents in Urban Communities

Utilizing Yosso’s community cultural wealth framework as a theoretical lens, we sought to examine how nontraditional, community-based family engagement programs impacted adult family members’ thoughts and actions about engagement with their children's schools. The study drew primarily from the interviews, observations, and document analysis of two nontraditional family engagement programs in urban communities. Findings indicate that program approaches built upon and extended families’ social and navigational capitals. Educational leaders can more meaningfully engage urban families by learning from and incorporating practices implemented by the programs we examine and discuss in this article.

Social Isolation and Aging Out of Place Among Immigrants and Refugee Seniors in Canada

Immigrant and refugee seniors experience cultural barriers, discrimination, and limited networks which increase the risk of social isolation and thus hinder their active participation in the society. This paper explores social isolation among immigrant and refugee seniors in Canada based on an environmental scan of federal/provincial/territorial and community-based programs and a systematic scoping review. Findings revealed important gaps and regional disparities in opportuntiies to reduce social isolation and great active participation. Research was limited, often qualitative in nature, typically based on larger urban centres, with measurement issues related to the need for consideration beyond one's living arrangements. The results highlight the need for greater understanding Canada’s immigration and refugee system and policies, and collaboration across levels of government. Reducing issues of social isolation and enabling better active aging for vulnerable seniors require a more nuanced and multidimensional conceptualization with prioritization on addressing the unique factors of culture and geographical context.

Bridge Builders and Boundary Spanners: Intersectoral, Interorganizational, and Interprofessional Education

The needs of individuals aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families do not fall neatly within defined policies, programs, and professions. They comprise complex challenges based on medical, psychological, social, environmental, economic and familial dimensions. These needs pose a challenge for providers in developing solutions at three levels: (1) different policies and programs create barriers based on different funding sources, eligibility requirements, and administrative restrictions; (2) clinical and community-based programs embody the gap between healthcare and human service providers; and (3) different professions are trained in their own methods of assessment and care plan development that impede the design of integrated approaches to defining and solving problems. This paper proposes an intersectoral, interorganizational, and interprofessional framework for addressing these problems based on networking and collaborative practice principles embodying bridge-building, boundary-spanning, and team-working as a basis for provider education. Implications for expanded education in this field are explored.

EAST Meets West Symposium: Community-Based Programs for Dementia Prevention and Support

This East Meets West Symposium presents cross-cultural evidence of community-based programs developed to address cognitive health needs of older adults or to support dementia family caregivers. It includes five studies from mainland China, Taiwan, and the U.S.A. The first study explored the adherence to computerized cognitive training to promote cognitive health among Chinese older adults using a qualitative approach. External encouragement, and self-awareness of performance improvement were found influential to older adults’ adherence. The second study spearheaded by American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in the U.S.A shed further light on technology use in promoting brain health by comparing in-person versus online cognitive training to older Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The third study tested the effectiveness of a cognitive health management model for community-dwelling older adults including healthy and mild cognitively impaired (MCI) ones in Shanghai, China. Older adults with MCI who received the management service showed better cognition outcomes compared to their counterparts in the control group. The fourth study focused on a community program named “Carer Café”, developed to support dementia family caregiver in Taiwan. Participants (n=375) reported reduced stress and increased access to service referrals. The last study examined the stakeholders’ perceptions of dementia friendly initiatives (DFI) being implemented in U.S.A, mainland China, and Taiwan to support persons with dementia and family caregivers. The impacts of DFI made, challenges DFI faced, and strategies DFI used during COVID-19 pandemic were discussed. The discussant will comment on each article’s contributions and limitations in the context of literature.

Adult Day Services as an Essential Service and Support

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the significant challenges and gaps related to the care of older people in the U.S. were made distressingly apparent. This summary presentation will consider the effects of COVID-19 and associated shutdowns on older persons who use ADS programs, their family caregivers, and programs/staff themselves. Among recommendations to consider are the classification of adult day services and similar community-based long-term care providers as essential (and clarifying their difference from senior centers). In addition, considering new financing approaches and utilizing ADS or similar community-based programs as incubators of evidence-based innovation are options to consider to better align ADS with optimal dementia care.

Stuck in Stage 3: The Case of an Effective Depression Intervention for African American Older Adults

Beat the Blues (BTB) is a culturally tailored depression program for older African Americans. Tested in an NIA Stage 3 efficacy trial, findings showed statistically and clinically significant benefits, including decreased depressive symptoms, improved depression knowledge and symptom recognition, and behavioral activation. The multi-component intervention was co-constructed in partnership with a large senior center. Drawn from previously tested depression programs and tailored to preferences/needs of the targeted population, its five components included care management, depression education and symptom recognition, resources/referrals, and stress reduction and behavioral activation techniques. Despite significant findings, strong effect sizes and high acceptability, moving BTB to NIA Stage 4 (effectiveness) or 5 (dissemination) has been challenging. Challenges that will be discussed include lack of senior center funding to support training and delivery and infrastructure to embed BTB in community-based programs, and reluctance of health systems to adopt BTB because of its focus on one racial group.

Recent Trends of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Military Recruits from Saudi Arabia

Metabolic syndrome (Met-S) constitutes the risk factors and abnormalities that markedly increase the probability of developing diabetes and coronary heart disease. An early detection of Met-S, its components and risk factors can be of great help in preventing or controlling its adverse consequences. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of cardio-metabolic risk factors in young army recruits from Saudi Arabia. A total of 2010 Saudis aged 18–30 years were randomly selected from groups who had applied to military colleges. In addition to designed questionnaire, anthropometric measurements and blood samples were collected to measure Met-S components according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Met-S prevalence was 24.3% and it was higher in older subjects than the younger ones. There were significant associations between Met-S and age, education level and marital status. The most common Met-S components were high fasting blood sugar (63.6%) followed by high blood pressure (systolic and diastolic, 63.3% and 37.3% respectively) and high body mass index (57.5%). The prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes were found to be 55.2% and 8.4%, respectively. Hypertriglyceridemia was found in 19.3% and low levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in 11.7% of subjects. In conclusion, there is a high prevalence of Met-S in young adults of Saudi Arabia. There is a need for regular monitoring of Met-S in young populations to keep them healthy and fit for nation building. It is also important to design and launch community-based programs for educating people about the importance of physical activity, cessation of smoking and eating healthy diet in prevention of chronic diseases.

Best Practice Berbasis Komunitas Dalam Mewujudkan Ketahanan Masyarakat Terhadap Bencana

Community-based programs emphasize the community as the main actor. It started with recruitment and the establishment of community forums which became the benchmark for the success of the program. Furthermore, the community is equipped with knowledge about the identification and utilization of village potential so that the community can play practical roles in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem in the context of disaster control. The involvement of community forums in best practice is an efficient means because it provides space for forums to exchange knowledge and ideas in offering problem-solving solutions. The mining potential in Hulawa Village has a strategic role in improving the community's economy. However, it has an impact on river water resources in Hulawa Village. The direct impact observed in the field is the color change in river water due to mining activities. The potential of the village-owned by Hulawa Village can be maximized to become a village advantage. This needs to be done because it sees the opportunity for the high involvement of the Hulawa village community in village community empowerment programs.

Barriers and Motivators to Physical Activity Prior to Starting a Community-Based Walking Program

Despite the clear benefits of an active lifestyle, most American adults fail to meet physical activity (PA) guidelines. Because of its safety and ease, walking is a promising population-level strategy to increase PA. There is a need to further understand why adults do and do not participate in walking. This study provides a broader understanding of barriers and motivators of walking prior to starting a walking program. Four years of baseline data from a community-based walking program were analyzed (n = 1491). Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, barriers, reinforcements, and current PA. Chi-square tests were used to assess differences in the barrier and reinforcement responses between participant’s PA level and age categories. Open-ended responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. On average, participants were white (96%), middle-aged (52 ± 13 years old) females (92%). Poor weather and time were frequently reported barriers to walking. Open-ended responses (n = 141) identified additional barriers of lack of motivation (n = 37), joint issues (n = 29), fatigue (n = 24), safety or lack of environmental supports (n = 17), family or work demands (n = 15), and lacking a walking partner (n = 9). Good weather, health, and weight loss were frequently reported motivators. Additional motivators (n = 282) identified included stress relief and mental health (n = 82), social time (n = 70), dog care (n = 41), other health benefits (n = 38), connect with nature (n = 19), enjoyment (14), occupation (n = 11), and environmental and community supports (n = 6). Findings highlight the importance of understanding participant barriers and motivators for PA before starting a program. Future research should examine how reported barriers and motivators are related to program completion and adherence. Tailoring community-based programs to address specific barriers and motivators may enable more participants to effectively change and maintain PA.