Understanding the importance of relationship building in promoting positive outcomes in social work with teen parents

Federal, state and local funding mechanisms have been implemented to create programs that assist pregnant and parenting teens to prevent school absence and dropout, develop parenting skills, and increase high school graduation rates, among other objectives, with varying rates of success. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with adolescent mothers (N=10), adolescent fathers (N=5), and counselors (N=10) in a public high school setting in a large metropolitan city in the southwestern U.S. A short written survey collecting demographic characteristics was also collected from all participants. Findings indicate that the quality and characteristics of the relationship that is developed between the adolescent and the counselor has a significant impact on the success of teen in achieving positive outcomes. Interview themes demonstrated that relationships built between the adolescent and the counselor had an important role in the students' participation in the program, motivation to graduate from high school, and overall happiness. Adolescent parents viewed counselors as stable forces in their lives that provide encouragement, advice, and positivity. Students appreciated that the conversations they had with their counselors were confidential, and several noted that their counselor was the only person in their lives who they could trust with their secrets. This qualitative study provides important information about successful strategies, particularly those related to relationship development and rapport building, in working with adolescent parents to promote well-being and success in young new mothers and fathers.