Realizing It can happen (R.I.C.H.): Responding to social determinants of health through job training

In this presentation, we describe a research project collaboratively developed and designed by the Center for Urban Families (CFUF) and the Johns Hopkins Center for Adolescent Health (CAH). Socioeconomic factors represent the strongest and most consistent predictors of health. Research suggests that the probability of entering poverty is much higher in young adulthood than in any other stage of life. The goal of this collaborative project was to enhance the CFUF's capacity to more efficiently and effectively document the impact of STRIVE, a four-week long job readiness program, on its young adult clients and those closest to their clients. Life history interviews were conducted with 40 individuals: 20 STRIVE graduates (ages 18-24) and one other important person in each graduate's life. Less than half of the participants had completed high school and many had also been incarcerated. Qualitative findings highlight the negative role that familial instability, drug use, poor educational opportunities, parental absence, and violence played in the lives of STRIVE graduates. Interviewees noted that the STRIVE program transformed program graduates by building self-efficacy in addition to offering specific skills to increase employability. The STRIVE program also encouraged participants to view their lived experiences as motivational tools rather than barriers to success. This approach has had lasting and far-reaching effects on graduates' personal well-being and professional potential. In conclusion, findings suggest that job training programs can serve as vehicles for addressing the emotional, economic and social conditions related to health among youth from low resource environments and overly stressed communities.