READY4Life Programming for Life Skills

Recruiting at 8 trial locations

Overseen By Emmanuel Montesa

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Disqualifiers: Age, Non-refugee/immigrant

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

4800 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) has developed the Relationships, Education, Advancement, and Development for Youth for Life (READY4Life) Program. This is a 16-hour program for immigrants/refugees, ages 14 to 24. The program is designed to help young immigrants and refugees prepare for a successful life in the United States. The program is taught by USCRI program staff and is being implemented at eight sites across the U.S.: Cleveland, Ohio; Colchester, Vermont; Des Moines, Iowa; Miami, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Raleigh, North Carolina; Saint Paul, Minnesota; and Twin Falls, Idaho. The project also includes a rigorous evaluation component, featuring a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) design.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the READY4Life Programming treatment?

The effectiveness of educational programs in improving quality of life and self-management skills is supported by research showing significant improvements in health distress, self-rated health, and self-efficacy in similar programs. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How is the READY4Life Program treatment different from other life skills programs?

The READY4Life Program is unique because it focuses on classroom instruction to develop life skills specifically for youth, emphasizing relationships, education, advancement, and development. Unlike other programs that may be residential or focus on different populations, READY4Life is tailored for classroom settings, making it more accessible for school-going adolescents. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Research Team

Michael Young, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Educational Evaluators, Inc; Center for Evidence-Based Programming

Eligibility Criteria

The USCRI READY4Life Program is for young immigrants and refugees between the ages of 14 to 24 who are looking to adapt successfully to life in the United States. Participants must self-identify as a refugee or immigrant.

Inclusion Criteria

I am between 14 and 24 years old.

Must self-identify as a refugee or immigrant

Exclusion Criteria

I am either younger than 14 or older than 24 years old.

Does not identify as a refugee or immigrant

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive the 16-hour READY4Life classroom-based relationship education program

16 hours over several weeks

Sessions are spaced a week apart

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for outcomes such as communication skills, conflict resolution, and economic stability

6 months

Control Group Follow-up

Control group participants complete pre-test, post-test, and six-month follow-up questionnaires

7 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• READY4Life Programming - classroom instruction

Trial Overview This trial tests the effectiveness of READY4Life, a program offering classroom instruction aimed at improving communication, social relationships, problem-solving skills, and economic stability among youth. The study uses an RCT design across eight U.S. sites.

Participant Groups

Group I: READY4Life Programming - classroom instruction Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The intervention is an 16-hour classroom-based relationship education program taught by project staff. This instruction will strengthen and promote healthy marriages among young refugees and immigrants through education and comprehensive case management that will support an overall goal of helping youth build healthy relationship skills while supporting positive socio-emotional development and promoting successful transitions to young adulthood.

Group II: No Intervention: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

The control group does not receive any part of the classroom instruction that the intervention group receives. Like the intervention group, however, the control group does have access to case management.

READY4Life Programming - classroom instruction is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as READY4Life Program for:

• Promoting healthy relationship skills and positive socio-emotional development among refugee and immigrant youth

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2

Recruited

10,200+

Department of Health and Human Services

Collaborator

Trials

240

Recruited

944,000+

US Department of Health and Human Services

Collaborator

Trials

3

Recruited

5,600+

Findings from Research

Clinical outcome studies are valuable for clinicians and administrators, as they help evaluate and improve the quality of clinical services, which can also support funding efforts.

The project demonstrated successful collaboration between faculty, staff, and students in designing outcome studies, highlighting the potential for educational partnerships to enhance practical applications in healthcare settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Faculty-agency partnering for improved client outcomes. Williams, K., Cobb, AK., Nowak, J., et al.[2022]

A study involving 291 patients showed significant long-term improvements in health outcomes, with Risk Factor scores decreasing from 9.5 at the start to 6.8 after four years, indicating sustained benefits from the therapeutic education program.

Eating Habits scores also improved over four years, with participants increasing their consumption of whole grains, green vegetables, and fish, which contributed to better overall health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Therapeutic education in primary cardiovascular prevention: 4 years sustained interest]. Baudet, M., Daugareil, C.[2018]

The educational program significantly improved participants' ability to manage their medical conditions, leading to better health outcomes in five key areas: health distress, self-rated general health, illness intrusiveness, self-efficacy, and activities limitation.

These improvements were measured by comparing treatment and control groups before and after the program, indicating that the program effectively enhanced the quality of life for enrollees in the managed care organization (MCO).

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preliminary findings on the effectiveness of the "healthy living with chronic conditions" workshop in a managed care plan. Co, J., Jaramillo, B., Grimsley, S., et al.[2013]

An educational program for managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly improved participants' quality of life by an average of 3.3 points, with 53.5% showing clinically relevant improvements.

Participants also increased their exercise capacity, walking an average of 20.76 meters further in 6 minutes after completing the program, along with reductions in dyspnoea and clinical risk, demonstrating the program's effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Effectiveness of an educational program for respiratory rehabilitation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients in Primary Care in improving the quality of life, symptoms, and clinical risk]. Blánquez Moreno, C., Colungo Francia, C., Alvira Balada, MC., et al.[2023]

The systematic assessment of educational programs leads to improvements in their effectiveness, particularly in critical thinking, therapeutic nursing interventions, and communication skills.

Faculty participation in the evaluation process is crucial for ensuring the quality and success of educational outcomes in nursing programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A systematic evaluation plan that works. Hamner, JB., Bentley, RW.[2019]

The review highlights the importance of life skills curricula specifically tailored for students with learning disabilities, emphasizing the need for effective intervention strategies.

It suggests that future research should focus on both the implementation of these curricula and the long-term follow-up to assess their impact on students' life skills development.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Life skills curricula for students with learning disabilities: a review of the literature. Cronin, ME.[2019]

The Heartfulness Way program, a mindfulness-based social-emotional learning intervention, received strong support from students and teachers across 12 schools in India, highlighting its acceptability and perceived benefits such as improved relationships and prosocial behavior.

Teachers reported high satisfaction with the program and were able to implement 75%-80% of the activities, although challenges like insufficient training and the need for supervision were noted, indicating areas for improvement in future implementations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acceptability and feasibility of the Heartfulness Way: A social-emotional learning program for school-going adolescents in India. Shinde, S., Pereira, B., Khandeparkar, P.[2022]

Service providers in Residential Immersive Life Skills (RILS) programs emphasize creating a supportive atmosphere and using engaging strategies to help youth with physical disabilities develop essential life skills, as identified through qualitative interviews with 37 providers.

Experts in the field focus on higher-order issues such as enabling youth and providing opportunities for choice and new experiences, which contrasts with novices who may not consider these broader aspects of program design.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Residential immersive life skills programs for youth with disabilities: service providers' perceptions of change processes. King, G., McPherson, A., Kingsnorth, S., et al.[2019]

The YLSECS training program significantly enhanced the knowledge and confidence of 792 teachers and NSS officers in delivering Life Skills Education, with awareness about life skills increasing from 49.9% to 91.6-95.1% post-training (p < 0.001).

Participants reported a notable increase in confidence levels, with those feeling 'very confident' in teaching life skills rising from 22.7% to 65.2-74.7% after training, indicating the program's effectiveness in improving teaching capabilities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Quality of a life skills training program in Karnataka, India - a quasi experimental study. Pradeep, BS., Arvind, BA., Ramaiah, S., et al.[2020]

This 5-year prospective study will evaluate the long-term benefits of Residential Immersive Life Skills (RILS) programs for youth with disabilities, involving 30 participants aged 14-21 each year across three sites in Ontario, Canada.

The study aims to identify key features and experiences that contribute to the success of RILS programs, addressing gaps in understanding how immersive environments can positively influence self-determination and self-efficacy in young people with disabilities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Optimizing life success through residential immersive life skills programs for youth with disabilities: study protocol of a mixed-methods, prospective, comparative cohort study. McPherson, AC., King, G., Rudzik, A., et al.[2018]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Faculty-agency partnering for improved client outcomes. [2022]

2. France pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Therapeutic education in primary cardiovascular prevention: 4 years sustained interest]. [2018]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preliminary findings on the effectiveness of the "healthy living with chronic conditions" workshop in a managed care plan. [2013]

4. Spain pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Effectiveness of an educational program for respiratory rehabilitation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients in Primary Care in improving the quality of life, symptoms, and clinical risk]. [2023]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A systematic evaluation plan that works. [2019]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Life skills curricula for students with learning disabilities: a review of the literature. [2019]

7. India pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acceptability and feasibility of the Heartfulness Way: A social-emotional learning program for school-going adolescents in India. [2022]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Residential immersive life skills programs for youth with disabilities: service providers' perceptions of change processes. [2019]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Quality of a life skills training program in Karnataka, India - a quasi experimental study. [2020]

10. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Optimizing life success through residential immersive life skills programs for youth with disabilities: study protocol of a mixed-methods, prospective, comparative cohort study. [2018]