Dedrick Lenox
California State University,
Long Beach
May, 2013
There are at minimum 408,425 children in the United States foster care system
(Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2010). Mental health issues and the
associated problems are a concern within this population as research suggests
that up to 75% of children entering the foster care system have behavioral,
social, and emotional issues (Landsverk, Burns, Stambaugh, & Rolls Reutz,
2009).
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Specifically, for the residential placement population, post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),
depression, and substance abuse are the most commonly diagnosed disorders
(Landsverk et al., 2009).
Mental health issues affecting adolescents in foster care, such as ADHD, are
indicated to impair academic performance (Gapin, Labban, & Etnier, 2011).
For foster youth, childhood maltreatment is another factor believed to cause
mental health issues such as: post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and
other internalizing and externalizing behaviors (Jaffee & Maikovich-Fong,
2011).
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The purpose of this project is to develop a
grant to fund a Music Therapy program at
Children Are Our Future (CAOF) which is a
residential placement center for foster and
probation youth (CAOF, 2012). The purpose for
establishing a Music Therapy program is to
target areas of mental health impeding client
development in the psychosocial domain and
to analyze the benefits of implementing
creative therapies at CAOF in order to ensure
that the clinical needs of all residents are being
met.
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Knowledge of Music Therapy, as an alternative
form of therapy, can ensure that social workers are
staying relevant with their continued education
while in the field, thus keeping in line with the
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
(2012) Code of Ethics.
Social workers can assist agencies in developing
Music Therapy programs that are relevant to their
client’s mental health treatment plans based on
current societal trends and best practices.
Social workers should ensure that adolescents in
residential placement secure a positive
psychosocial foundation before they exit
treatment.
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Current foster care statistics in Los Angeles
County are as follows: Whites represent 11.6%,
Hispanics represent 58.3%, African-Americans
represent 26.6%, Asian/ Pacific Islanders
represent 1.9%, American-Indian/ Alaskan
Natives represent 0.5%, Filipinos represent
0.6%, and ethnicities that fall under the
category of other represent 0.6% (LACDCFS,
2012).
Music is a cross cultural form of expression.
Cultural considerations will be set in place.
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The target population this grant intends to service are the foster care youth residing at
the residential placement agency Children Are Our Future.
Potential funding for this grant was searched and located at the Ventura County
Community Foundation.
For the purpose of this grant the Weingart Foundation was selected as a potential
funding source.
Sources used for the needs assessment were retrieved from the Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency, The Child Information Gateway, the Los Angeles County Department
of Children and Family Services database, California State University of Long Beach
Library, and the American Music Therapy Association website.
The projected budget for this program is $82,027.00 and to cover the costs of this
program $60,251.00 was established through in-kind-donations and the writer requested
a grant for $21,776.00 to cover the remaining balance.
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This project will be a new alternative, voluntary therapy program
offered to all residents at the CAOF organization.
The overarching goal of the program is to add an additional
clinical and evidence-based intervention that incorporates a
creative component designed to assist in the pro-psychological
and social development of adolescent foster youth in residential
placement.
Grant funds will be used to contract a certified music therapist, as
well as to purchase all necessary equipment to implement the
program.
The population served are foster care and probation residents at
Children Are Our future which includes male and female
residents between the ages of 14-18.
The program can be sustained for approximately one fiscal year
and measures have been included to test for its effectiveness in
order to maintain the program beyond the first year of
implementation.
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Music therapy will be used to help residents challenged by
mental health issues that include, but are not limited to the
following disorders: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,
bi-polar disorder, depression, substance abuse, and post
traumatic stress disorder.
In order to ensure the efficiency of the program a social
worker and music therapist will analyze every candidate’s
initial psychosocial assessment and devise short term and
long term goals that can be accomplished by the resident.
Music therapy sessions will last two hours and will be
conducted at four different residential sites (houses) once a
week and may service up to 48 residents in total.
Program evaluations will be conducted through the
dissemination of surveys taken by residents and staff
members.
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Keep accurate records of all research information.
Multiple databases provide a wider variety of research
information.
The grant writing process is easier to adjust to when
the writer is passionate about the topic.
Completely understand the potential grant funder in
order to make an appropriate match.
Before choosing a grant topic make sure to brainstorm
multiple ideas.
Music Therapy is a captivating form of therapy for
some adolescents which may be the most effective
intervention for adolescents who have not responded
to other forms of therapy.
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Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2012). Foster care statistics 2010. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau.
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Children Are Our Future. (2012). Residents demographics. Retrieved from http://www.caof.org
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Gapin, G.I., Labban, J.D., Etnier, J.L. (2011). The effects of physical activity on attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder symptoms: The evidence. Preventive Medicine, 52, S70-S74.
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Jaffee, S. R., & Maikovich-Fong, A. (2011). Effects of chronic maltreatment and maltreatment timing on
children's behavior and cognitive abilities. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52(2), 184-194.
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Landsverk, J. A., Burns, B. J., Stambaugh, L., & Rolls Reutz, J. A. (2009). Psychosocial
interventions for children and adolescents in foster care: Review of research literature. Child Welfare, 88(1), 49-69.
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Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. (2012). Fact sheet child welfare services.
Retrieved from http://dcfs.co.la.ca.us/
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National Association of Social Workers (2012). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://socialworkers.org/