The Impact of a School-Based, Trauma-Informed CBT Intervention for Young Women

The Promise of a School-Based, Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention for Young Women in Chicago: A Randomized Evaluation

Northwestern University, Youth Guidance, Chicago Public Schools, U.S. Department of Justice, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Reva & David Logan Foundation, DePaul University, Laura and John Arnold Foundation, MacArthur Foundation

The purpose of this study is: To conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of Working on Womanhood (WOW), a school-based, trauma-informed counseling and clinical mentoring program for young women in Chicago, on PTSD, anxiety, depression. In addition, this study will examine the effect of WOW on other, secondary outcomes such as school discipline, GPA, high school graduation, and criminal justice involvement, risky behaviors, and other social-emotional learning outcomes. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the WOW program.

The University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab are partnering with the City of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, and Youth Guidance to implement a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of Youth Guidance's Working on Womanhood program across two cohorts: Cohort 1, receiving programming during academic years 2017-18 and 2018-19, and Cohort 2, receiving programming during academic years 2018-19 and 2019-20. For Cohort 1, incoming 9th, 10th, and 11th grade female students in 10 Chicago Public Schools high schools (as of Fall 2017) will be screened for eligibility and randomized to either a treatment group that will be offered to receive WOW services over two academic years, or to a control group that will not be offered to receive WOW services over two academic years. For cohort 2, only incoming 9th graders (as of Fall 2018) will be randomized, in the same manner. Control group students will still be eligible to receive other status quo school and community supports. Outcomes of interest will be measured using administrative data and a comprehensive student survey. WOW is a trauma-informed, in-school group counseling and clinical mentoring program developed by non-profit Youth Guidance. Informed by CBT, WOW helps girls challenge unhelpful thoughts and build self-esteem and self-efficacy to make positive and healthy decisions. WOW aims to reduce depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, and improve academic and behavioral outcomes. WOW delivers a 26-lesson curriculum via weekly small-group counseling sessions during the school day. The curriculum is designed around five core values: self-awareness, emotional intelligence, healthy relationships, visionary goal setting, and leadership, and delivered by masters-level social workers and counselors. WOW counselors may also provide individual counseling and referrals to other services. The WOW program fills a critical gap in the existing set of programs available to these students, by providing services that cater to the unique needs of young women in our most under-resourced high schools.

Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Behavioral Symptoms, Depression, Mental Disorders, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders, Wounds and Injuries

Randomized Controlled Trial, RCT, Chicago Public Schools, high school, trauma-informed counseling, group-based counseling, counseling, mentoring, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT, adolescents, females, trauma, stress, PTSD, anxiety, depression, graduation

Treatment individuals will be provided information about the trial and consented into the study as part of WOW program materials (note: program participation is not conditional on participation in the research). Control individuals will not be provided information about the study, but may be provided information if they inquire about programming. Due to the intervention type, it is not possible to mask the identity of treatment participants from the provider or from participants. However, the provider will not be informed of the identity of the control group.

These youth will not receive Working on Womanhood (WOW) services during academic years 2017-18 and 2018-19 [Cohort 1] or 2018-19 and 2019-20 [Cohort 2] or after, and will not have contact with WOW clinicians. Control youth will be able to receive all other services available through their school as they normally would, such as access to the school counselor and after school programs.

These youth will receive Working on Womanhood (WOW) services during academic years 2017-18 and 2018-19 [Cohort 1] or 2018-19 and 2019-20 [Cohort 2]. These young women will participate in weekly group therapy and skill-building sessions, led by master's level clinicians, and will also receive individual support and therapy from their clinicians as-needed.

Score on self-reported depression screen, obtained from the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) Self-Report of Personality (SRP)

Standardized index composed of GPA, number of course failures, attendance rate, and number of in-school and out-of-school suspensions, obtained from CPS administrative database

Number of total arrests, obtained from Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Illinois State Police (ISP) administrative databases

Number of non-violent crime arrests, including property crimes, drug crimes, and other crimes, obtained from CPD and ISP administrative databases

Self-reported survey measures, obtained from representative student survey; Childbirth data, obtained from the Chicago and Illinois Dept. of Public Health

Measures adapted from the Family Environment Scale (relationships section), obtained from representative student survey

Score on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form (DERS-SF), obtained from representative student survey

Score on the ZIMBARDO time perspective survey, Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R), and other measures, obtained from representative student survey

Inclusion Criteria: Chicago Public Schools high schools, chosen in collaboration with Youth Guidance leadership, that serve majority low-income, minority students in community areas impacted by violence School's 9th, 10th, and 11th grade female student population is large enough to support at least 50 treatment students and 50 control students, after accounting for a 60 to 70 percent take-up rate and exclusion criteria Schools do not currently have WOW services (as of AY2016-17) School administrators are enthusiastic about the program and agree to the terms and conditions of the experimental design All female students in these selected schools entering 9th, 10th, or 11th grade in Fall 2017, or entering 9th grade in Fall 2018. Exclusion Criteria: Students with an overall attendance rate below 75% during AY2016-17 [Cohort 1] or AY2017-18 [Cohort 2] Students who display proactive aggression towards others Students with severe cognitive / developmental disabilities, these include: autistic, emotional and behavior disorder, educable mental handicap, intellectual disability - profound, severe/profound handicap, and trainable mental handicap