Family Navigator Plus: a 5-week education program for foster parents
Official title: Building Capacity for Youth Mental Wellness: Feasibility and Acceptability for a Mental Health Family Navigator Model for Foster Parents
Run by Northwestern University · NCT06978959 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This 5-week program tests whether Family Navigator Plus helps foster parents of 6–17-year-olds better understand their child's mental health needs and find appropriate services.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 12 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Northwestern University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 12, 2026 |
| Main results expected | August 31, 2027 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | January 27, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06978959 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants are foster or adoptive parents of youth aged 6–17 with mental health needs who live in Illinois, speak English or Spanish, and have internet access for videoconferencing.
✕Probably not a fit
Caregivers who live outside Illinois, lack reliable internet/videoconferencing access, care for children outside the age range, or who already participated in prior FN+ pilot or focus-group work are unlikely to benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Family Navigator Plus (FN+) is a 5-week interventional education program delivered via videoconference to foster and adoptive parents of children aged 6–17 with mental health needs. The program provides psychoeducation and navigation support to help caregivers recognize needs and locate services. Investigators will measure acceptability (satisfaction, barriers, burden), utility (perceived usefulness), and feasibility (eligibility rates, time to complete assessments, self-reported feasibility). Participants must live in Illinois, speak English or Spanish, and have internet access.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, FN+ could help foster parents better support their children's mental health and connect families to services more quickly.
How similar studies have gone: Related family navigator and caregiver psychoeducation programs have shown promising improvements in caregiver knowledge and service linkage, though FN+ combines features that are being specifically piloted here.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Foster parent of a youth between the ages of 6 to 17 with mental health needs * Parent adopted child from foster care * Living in Illinois, United States * English or Spanish speaking * Has access to internet and videoconferencing Exclusion Criteria: \- Participated in the FN+ Focus Groups or PROACTIVE Parent Pilot Study
Where it's running
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Heather J Risser, PhD — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Heather J Risser, PhD
- Email: heather.risser@northwestern.edu
- Phone: 312-848-3019
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.