Supporting Immigrant/Newcomer youth: SSWN Open Access 2020

Editor’s Note: In this SSWN Open Access 2020 series, we’re sharing the articles from the just-published open-access International Journal of School Social Work (published by SSWAA and where I serve as Editor-in-Chief) with SSWN readers and to invite authors and practitioners to interact with this original research here and over at our SSWNetwork platform. The seventh article presents outcomes from a mixed-methods study of the STRONG Resiliency Program for Newcomer Youth, as experienced by 19 youth in Canada. The study conducted by Dr. Claire V. Crooks and her team at Western University in London, Ontario, looked at the outcomes and they wrote in their paper:

Youth from six intervention groups participated in this study through completing pre- and post-intervention surveys and focus groups. Our qualitative results identified a high level of acceptability among youth. Perceived benefits included improved coping and relaxation strategies, increased confidence and trust, increased peer connectedness and belongingness, benefits of sharing and exchanging stories with peers, and increased knowledge in the Canadian context. Youths’ scores on resilience and use of STRONG skills increased significantly from pre- to post-intervention, but there was no change in school connectedness scores. We discuss the convergence between qualitative and quantitative findings and highlight some of the areas that were only evident in focus groups.

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Tell us what you think and share how you might use these intervention ideas where you practice, over at SSWNetwork.

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