Measuring Outcomes of Interventions with
Run-Away and Homeless Youth Services
(Also known as the MINK Project: Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas)

Principal Investigator: David Pollio, PhD
Funder: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (90CY2156)
Timeframe: Funded 10/96-03/02
Affiliation: Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR)

Project Staff: not described on this page
Participating Organizations: not described on this page
Project Contact:  David Pollio, PhD
                             (314) 395-7516
                             depollio@gwbmail.wustl.edu

Project Update as of 01/31/2007
Stage: This project is completed.
Baseline Findings: not described on this page
Conference Presentations: not described on this page
Forthcoming, In Press,or Published Papers:

• Pollio, D.E., Thompson, S.J., & North, C.S. (2000). Agency-based tracking of difficult-to-follow populations: Runaway and homeless youth programs in St. Louis, Missouri. Community Mental Health Journal, 36(3), 247-258.
• Pollio, D.E., McDonald, S.M., & North, C.S. (1996). Combining strengths-based and feminist group work with the homeless. Social Work with Groups, 19(3/4), 5-20

Reports: not described on this page
Key Findings: not described on this page
Practice or Policy Implications: not described on this page

Description:
    The purpose of this study funded through ACF, DHHS was to develop methods and conduct an evaluation of federally funded runaway and homeless youth services in the MINK (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas) region.  The study purpose included: (1) development and pilot testing of a brief outcomes instrument and tracking methods for longitudinal evaluations of runaway and homeless agencies; (2) implementation of these methods in the thirteen agencies in the MINK region and in a comparison group at intake and multiple follow-ups (6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-discharge); (3) examination of the impact of organizational and community characteristics of the participant agencies on outcomes; and (4) focus groups for youth, their families, and providers.  Data collection is complete, and results have been written.  Steps in research included development of interventions based on our results.  Finally, we also analyzed data from the Runaway Homeless Youth Management Information System.