Assisting Foster Care Youth with PTSD Chapter

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 3195 words ( 11 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 8

Page 1 of 11

YOUNG ADULTS AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE WITH PTSD Young Adults Aging Out of Foster Care With PTSDOne in four youth in foster care will have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. There are about 26,000 youths who age out of foster care each year. Out of this number, a majority of the youth will suffer from PTSD (Pecora, 2010; Sakai et al., 2014). The youth who age out of foster care are faced with the difficulty of transitioning to adulthood without social and emotional supports, which could complicate their mental health issues (Ai et al., 2013). While laws are mandating the youth should be allowed to continue receiving mental health services, less than half of former foster care youth are engaged in mental health services. The discontinuation of these services is due to costs and lack of insurance after they age out of foster care. The youth might also be dissatisfied with the services or feel the services they receive do not improve their well-being. Samuels and Pryce (2008) indicates youth aged 19-30 years have PTSD rates up twice as high as United States War Veterans. PTSD is often triggered by traumas the youth face when they were young especially if they faced emotional and physical abuse. Children who face these traumas will be placed in foster care by Child Protection Services (CPS), and some of the children might remain in foster care till they are 21 years old (Salazar, Keller, Gowen, & Courtney, 2013). Youth in foster care have high rates of trauma exposure approaching 90%. While a majority of youth in the general population will also have experienced some form of a traumatic event in their lives, those in foster care seem to have experienced far higher rates than normal youth. The childhood maltreatment and adverse experiences the youth faced took place during a key developmental phase of their life, which could have compromised the youth\'s emotional functioning and placed them at risk of adverse mental health consequences. Even after leaving foster care, Valdez, Bailey, Santuzzi, and Lilly (2014) notes one in four youth will still be coping with symptoms of PTSD. Youth in foster care will have a lifetime prevalence of PTSD. Therefore, there is a need to assess their access to mental health services and make recommendations towards ensuring they still receive the support they need to deal with their mental health issues.Literature ReviewAi et al. (2013) posits child abuse will lead to a chronic inability of the brain to regulate emotions in adolescence and later in life. The National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) indicates children who were repeatedly molested are likely to have drug abuse, dysthymia, and childhood conduct disorder when they become adults. For foster youth aging out of foster care, they are still attempting to process the highly traumatic experiences they faced during childhood, and they lack the necessary emotional, financial, and social support that a typical youth would have when transitioning into adulthood (Pecora, 2010).

Stuck Writing Your "Assisting Foster Care Youth with PTSD" Chapter?

View All Our Example Assisting Foster Care Youth with PTSD Chapter

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

Foster youth will experience negative outcomes and face considerable challenges as they attempt to secure opportunities and resources, they need to lead independent lives (Ai et al., 2013; Samuels & Pryce, 2008). Foster youth struggling with symptoms of PTSD will have increased depressive symptoms as they transition out of foster care. If the youth do not receive the mental health support, they need they will end up suffering in silence as they do not have the coping mechanism to manage their transition. As the youth transition, they are leaving a system that required their dependence into an abrupt expectation of independence (Pecora, 2010). Upon leaving foster care the…

[…… parts of this paper are missing, click here to view the entire document ]

…together and consider each other’s perspective, they can deliver better care, which is beneficial to the patient. Working with other professionals will ensure the youth aging out of foster care will have ample assistance from different professionals who are aware of their upcoming exit, and they can counsel them when they visit the professionals. Working with other professionals will reinforce the knowledge and information being delivered to the youth, which will work towards increasing their abilities. The other professionals can notice something that was missed and they can assist by alerting me of what they noticed. Rectifying the situation nearly before the youth leaves foster care will benefit the youth since they will not leave without the assistance they need. Collaboration can be requested from pediatrics, psychiatrists, physicians, and nurses working with the foster youth.ConclusionWith the increased number of youths who exit from foster care each year and most of the youth being diagnosed with PTSD, it is vital to ensure the youth are prepared for life outside foster care. The challenges the youth will face once they leave foster care have been noted to contribute towards them stopping mental health services or even their medication. However, with early intervention, the youth can be advised on how they can maneuver outside foster care and still access the services they need the most. The transition phase for the youth should comprise of knowledge and information the youth can use when they leave foster care to assist them to seek professional mental health services. The social worker should ensure the youth have all the information and encourage them to speak about their fears before they leave foster care. Speaking up will open up communication, and the youth can receive assistance or answers to the questions they might have. Follow-up should be encouraged to….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Assisting Foster Care Youth With PTSD" (2020, November 29) Retrieved June 30, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/assisting-foster-care-youth-ptsd-2181425

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Assisting Foster Care Youth With PTSD" 29 November 2020. Web.30 June. 2025. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/assisting-foster-care-youth-ptsd-2181425>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Assisting Foster Care Youth With PTSD", 29 November 2020, Accessed.30 June. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/assisting-foster-care-youth-ptsd-2181425
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example