Helping foster parents access mental health services for children
Official title: Building Capacity for Youth Mental Wellness: Feasibility and Acceptability for a Mental Health Family Navigator Model for Foster Parents.
Funded at Northwestern University at Chicago · NIH-10986513 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new program called Family Navigator Plus to help foster parents find mental health services for kids aged 6-17 in their care, making it easier for them to get the support they need.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 13, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $200,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R34MH134941-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10986513 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are foster parents of children aged 6-17 who are experiencing mental health challenges.
✕Less likely to help
Children not in foster care or those outside the age range of 6-17 may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to implement the Family Navigator Plus (FN+) program, which supports foster parents in accessing mental health services for children aged 6-17 in their care. The program addresses the significant mental health disparities faced by youth in foster care, who are at a higher risk for mental health issues compared to their peers. By training foster parents to recognize mental health needs, engage with caseworkers, and utilize digital tools, the program seeks to improve treatment access and outcomes for these vulnerable children. The pilot will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this approach within the foster care system.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve mental health service access and outcomes for children in foster care.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that family navigator programs can effectively improve access to mental health services in similar high-risk populations.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Risser, Heather Jill — Northwestern University at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Risser, Heather Jill
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Disrupting social risk factors to help parents in rural areas stay healthy
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Mental Health Risk and Resilience of Latinx SGM Teens and Their Families
A project to understand how family support and cultural factors influence mental health for Latinx sexual- and gender-minority adolescents and their parents.
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Family Navigator Plus for Foster Parents to Boost Youth Mental Health Access
A pilot program helps foster parents recognize kids’ mental health needs and connect them with care for ages 6–17.
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Reducing social hardships to help rural parents with substance use and mental health
This program offers the multi-part Just Care for Families support to rural parents to reduce problems like unemployment and housing stress so they can avoid opioid use and feel better mentally.
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Supporting Chinese American teens and their parents to seek mental health care
This project tests an online, culturally tailored program to reduce stigma and help Chinese American adolescents and their parents get mental health care.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.