Featured Products

Pathways RTC offers many of its featured publications and products in both downloadable PDF format and full text. If you need a publication or product in an alternative format, please contact the Publications Coordinator at rtcpubs@pdx.edu.

** For tips on printing half-sheet booklets, see our booklet printing guide »

Research Update on Peer Support for Youth and Young Adults

Beyond Psychotherapy and Medication: Wellness, Wellbeing and Fun Interventions Should be Part of Robust Systems of Care for Youth and Young Adults

Description This Pathways publication reports on the robust research base showing positive mental health outcomes from interventions promoting wellness, wellbeing and fun for youth and young adults.
Research Update on Peer Support for Youth and Young Adults

Research Update on Peer Support for Youth and Young Adults

Description This brief report summarizes recently-published research relevant to peer support for youth and young adults who experience serious mental health conditions. The report reviews research published since 2018, when Pathways RTC produced its last report on this topic.
National Survey on Supports that Families Provide to Young Adults During Transition: Frequently Asked Questions

National Survey on Supports that Families Provide to Young Adults During Transition: Frequently Asked Questions

Description This document reports on results from a survey of 221 family members on supports families provide to young people ages 16-25. Results are broken into three age categories.
Preliminary Efficacy of a Near-Peer Coaching Intervention for College Students with Mental Health Challenges and Foster Care Backgrounds

Preliminary Efficacy of a Near-Peer Coaching Intervention for College Students with Mental Health Challenges and Foster Care Backgrounds

Description This brief shares findings from a small randomized controlled trial of Project FUTURES, a post-secondary support and retention program for college students with foster care experience and self-identified mental health concerns.
Exploring College Student Identity Among Young People With Foster Care Histories and Mental Health Challenges

Exploring College Student Identity Among Young People With Foster Care Histories and Mental Health Challenges

Description This brief shares findings from a study by researchers from Pathways Research and Training Center that explored the perspectives of college students with foster care histories and self-identified mental health conditions.
Telehealth for Transition Age Youth and Young Adults: Privacy, Emotional Safety, and Welfare During Covid-19 and Beyond

Telehealth for Transition Age Youth and Young Adults: Privacy, Emotional Safety, and Welfare During Covid-19 and Beyond

Description This tip sheet provides options for protecting the emotional safety, privacy and welfare of transition-age youth and young adults while they are participating in virtual mental health care. This list, compiled via consultation with youth peer support specialists, clinicians, and supervisors who work with young people, is intended as a starting point as services evolve to meet the challenges of this new era.
Peer Practice Brief: How Youth Partners Can Collaborate with Family Partners in Wraparound

Peer Practice Brief: How Youth Partners Can Collaborate with Family Partners in Wraparound

Description This practice brief, which is accompanied by a study guide of the same title, is the first half of a pair of documents that provides guidance on bridging connections between youth partners and family partners on Wraparound teams. The practice brief describes methods of collaboration and tips for addressing common challenges, and provides scenarios for practicing the material during staff training or coaching.
Study Guide: How Youth Partners Can Collaborate with Family Partners in Wraparound

Study Guide: How Youth Partners Can Collaborate with Family Partners in Wraparound

Description This study guide, which is accompanied by a practice brief of the same title, is the second half of a pair of documents that provides guidance on bridging connections between youth partners and family partners on Wraparound teams. This study guide provides answers to questions introduced in the scenarios from the accompanying practice brief.
Practice Brief: Supporting the Youth Peer Workforce

Practice Brief: Supporting the Youth Peer Workforce

Description Peer support is fast emerging as a promising and widely endorsed addition to the array of mental health services available to young people experiencing serious mental health conditions. This practice brief offers strategies for supporting youth peer support specialists and addressing common challenges they face.
Focal Point Compilation Issue: Youth Voice 2007 - 2019

Focal Point Special Compilation Issue: Youth Voice, 2007 – 2019

Description This special youth and young adult voice compilation issue was created to highlight the significant contributions of youth and young adults to 'Focal Point' over the years. For this special compilation, we have included a variety of contributions by youth and young adults that originally appeared in 'Focal Point' issues from 2007 to 2019. This collection portrays the wide range of individual experiences of youth and young adults and highlights common themes.
Emerging Strategies for Engaging Young People in Systems of Care

Emerging Strategies for Engaging Young People in Systems of Care

DescriptionThis tip sheet explores ways in which systems of care are developing new approaches and adaptations to delivery models to increase engagement among older youth and young adults. Developed from series of interviews with system of care providers, the resource outlines three key engagement strategies that others can implement and includes extensive quotes from providers throughout.
Focal Point 2019: Evaluation of Innovative Transition Programs

Evaluation of Innovative Transition Programs, v.33

DescriptionThis issue explores the findings from the local evaluations conducted by Healthy Transitions grantees over the past 5 years as well as present evaluation findings from two other innovative programs for transition-aged youth and young adults.
Full Text
Important Information for Parents and Friends of Young People Experiencing Psychosis

Important Information for Parents and Friends of Young People Experiencing Psychosis: Lessons Learned from Young Adult Graduates of EASA

DescriptionThis tip sheet, created with input from young adult graduates of the EASA program, offers tips for supporting a young person experiencing psychosis. Topics covered include improving communication, promoting recovery, and family self-care.
Wraparound for Older Youth and Young Adults: Providers' Views on Whether and How to Adapt Wraparound

Wraparound for Older Youth and Young Adults: Providers' Views on Whether and How to Adapt Wraparound

DescriptionThis report seeks to explore various questions, particularly those related to quality assurance; and to offer suggestions for training and technical assistance for Wraparound programs working with older youth and young adults.
Pathways Transition Video Briefs

Pathways Transition Video Brief Series

DescriptionThis series of short videos provides brief overviews of key approaches for working with youth and young adults with mental health needs. Each video brief is about 5 minutes long and is accompanied by discussion questions to assist viewers to apply the video content in their workplace, and a resource list for further learning. Viewers will be asked for their email address to followup for their feedback on the series.
Supporting College Student Success Through Connections to Mentors and Campus Champions

Supporting College Student Success through Connections to Mentors and Campus Champions: A Strategy Brief for Campus-Based Mentors and Other Student Support Programs

DescriptionThis brief shares best practices learned on the Project Futures research study being conducted at Portland State University and local community colleges in Portland, Oregon. The study is testing evidence-based mentoring strategies for college freshmen with lived experience in foster care and with mental health stressors.
Housing and Transition Report

Housing and Transition: Meeting the Needs of Young Adults with Mental Health Conditions

DescriptionThis report addresses challenges faced by transition-age youth and young adults with mental health conditions as they try to find and maintain stable housing. This document was written specifically for program designers, administrators, and policy-makers, and others who are planning to develop or modify housing supports that are available to young adults.
Web Page
Integration of Early Psychosis Services in a System of Care Framework

The Integration of Early Psychosis Services in a System of Care Framework: Opportunities, Issues, and Recommendations

DescriptionThis monograph describes how an SOC approach, coupled with specialized early psychosis intervention, can create a sustainable infrastructure, significantly decrease the duration of untreated psychosis, and improve service delivery and outcomes for youth and young adults with early signs of psychosis.
Focal Point 2018: Community Integration: State of the Science

Community Integration: State of the Science, v.32

DescriptionThis issue of Focal Point includes a series of research summaries that reflect the state of the science and project descriptions focused on the theme of community integration for youth and young adults who experience serious mental health conditions.
Full Text
Transition Mental Health Service Provider Core Competencies

Transition Mental Health Service Provider Core Competencies

DescriptionThis new resource builds on work first published in 2010 to define each of the 15 core competencies needed by service providers working in mental health services with young adults of transition age, along with the attitudes, knowledge and skills needed to demonstrate it, and an example of the competency in practice.
Understanding Neurobiology of Psychological Trauma

Understanding Neurobiology of Psychological Trauma: Tips for Working with Transition-Age Youth

DescriptionThis tip sheet introduces service providers to scientifically-informed findings about brain development and trauma specific to young adults and the implications for trauma-informed interventions and trauma-informed engagement of young people in services.
Full Text
What Is Peer Support and What Is Not Peer Support

What Is Peer Support and What Is Not Peer Support?

DescriptionThis publication provides some clarity around the primary functions of the young adult peer support role, and addresses the common misconceptions of young adult peer work.
Full Text
Changing the Rules Policy Guide

Changing the Rules: A Guide for Youth and Young Adults with Mental Health Conditions Who Want to Change Policy

DescriptionThis policy guide is intended for use by youth and young adults working together within a group or organization to make specific change.
Web Page
Summer 2017 Focal Point

Justice and Recovery , v.31

DescriptionThis issue of Focal Point identifies challenges facing the juvenile justice system and proposes solutions based on new research findings.
Full Text
Achieving Cross-System Collaboration to Support Young People

Achieving Cross-System Collaboration to Support Young People in the Transition Years: A Tip Sheet for Service Providers

DescriptionThis tip sheet advises service providers on how to reach across fragmented services and systems to assist young people to achieve their goals.
Full Text
Advice to Young Adults from Young Adults

Advice to Young Adults from Young Adults: Helpful Hints for Policy Change in the Mental Health System

DescriptionThis tip sheet on policy change is designed for use by organizations led by youth and young adults with lived experience in the mental health system.
Full Text
Helping Young Adults from Foster Care Succeed in College

Helping Young Adults from Foster Care Succeed in College

DescriptionThis tip sheet offers strategies to college faculty and staff to support students from foster care to succeed in college.
Full Text
AMP's Top Ten Tips for Engaging with Young People

AMP's Top Ten Tips for Engaging with Young People

DescriptionThis tip sheet advises service providers and others how to engage successfully with youth, using specific examples to illustrate effective (and ineffective) communication.
Full Text
Summer 2016 Focal Point

Early Psychosis Intervention , v.30

DescriptionThis issue explores early psychosis intervention services, which may prevent much of the trauma and disability associated with psychosis.
Full Text
Building Community Supports for Young People in the Transition Years

Building Community Supports for Young People in the Transition Years: A Tip Sheet for Service Providers

DescriptionThis tip sheet suggests ways providers can assist young people to strengthen their existing supports and/or to connect them with other supports.
Full Text
Getting the Most out of Vocational Rehabilitation

Getting the Most Out of Vocational Rehabilitation

DescriptionThis publication explains the types of services vocational rehabilitation provides and the process of applying for services, and offers tips and a case study that illustrate how to obtain successful outcomes from VR.
Full Text
Youth and Young Adult Peer Support

Youth & Young Adult Peer Support: What Research Tells Us About its Effectiveness in Mental Health Services**

DescriptionThis FAQ describes the research evidence for peer support, as well as some of the challenges that can be expected when peer support is implemented.
Full Text
Summer 2015 Focal Point cover

Focal Point (2015): Trauma-Informed Care , v.29

DescriptionThis issue of "Focal Point" focuses on trauma-informed care and its growing relevance in research, official policy, practice methods, and organizational structure.
Full Text
Keep Your Head in the Game

Keep Your Head in the Game**

DescriptionThis workshop, developed through a partnership between Better Futures and FosterClub, is focused on the challenges youth transitioning from foster care may face while pursuing their goals around higher education.
Full Text

Special Issue of the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research with Guest Editors from Pathways RTC , v.42(2)

DescriptionThis special issue highlights new research about interventions that are successful in improving outcomes for emerging adults who experience serious mental health conditions.
What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?**

DescriptionThis publication offers young adults guidance on career research, including preliminary exploration, getting and conducting informational interviews, and using internet resources for further inquiry.
Full Text
Summer 2014 Focal Point cover

Focal Point (2014): Co-Occurring Disorders , v.28

DescriptionBetween one-third and one-half of young adults with mental health challenges have co-occurring substance use issues. This issue of "Focal Point" examines treatments and supports for this population.
Full Text
Implementing the Peer Support Specialist Role (YMO)

Implementing the Peer Support Specialist Role: Peer Support in a Youth-led Drop-in Center

DescriptionThis brief provides an example of how one chapter of Youth MOVE National has implemented and supported the Peer Support Specialist role for emerging adults with serious mental health conditions.
Full Text
Implementing the Peer Support Specialist Role (YES)

Implementing the Peer Support Specialist Role: Providing Direct, Individualized Support in a Local Program

DescriptionThis brief provides an example of how one locally-initiated program has implemented and supported the Peer Support Specialist role for youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions.
Full Text
Implementing the Peer Support Specialist Role (Wraparound)

Implementing the Peer Support Specialist Role: Youth Peer Support in Wraparound

DescriptionThis brief provides an example of how one state has implemented and supported the Peer Support Specialist role for emerging adults with serious mental health conditions.
Full Text
Tips for Your Team Meetings: A Guide for Youth

Tips for Your Team Meetings: A Guide for Youth

DescriptionThis tip sheet offers suggestions and strategies to help young people become more involved in their team planning meetings.
Full Text
During Meetings I Can't Stand it When...

"During Meetings I Can't Stand it When..." A Guide for Facilitators and Team Members

DescriptionThis tip sheet helps meeting facilitators and team members address common issues that occur during team meetings in order to promote meaningful youth participation.
Full Text
I Bloomed Here

"I Bloomed Here": A Guide for Conducting Photovoice with Youth Receiving Culturally- and Community-based Services

DescriptionThis guide offers practical suggestions for using the Photovoice process to get young people engaged in their communities.
Full Text
Youth Advocate to Advocate for Youth

Youth Advocate to Advocate for Youth: The Next Transition**

DescriptionThis guide leads youth through their own growth in advocacy efforts, from owning their own stories to becoming a supportive young adult for other peers.
Full Text
State of the Science Conference Proceedings

State-of-the-Science Conference Proceedings

DescriptionThis proceedings monograph summarizes the events of the 2013 State-of-the-Science conference, which began with a review of the Pathways to Positive Futures model.
Full Text
Defining, Supporting, and Sustaining the Peer Support Specialist Role

Defining, Supporting, and Sustaining the Peer Support Specialist Role

DescriptionThis FAQ summarizes what agencies are learning about defining, supporting, and sustaining the Peer Support Specialist role.
Full Text
Focal Point 2013: Education and Employment

Focal Point (2013): Education & Employment , v.27

DescriptionThis special issue of Focal Point focuses on best practices for helping youth and young adults with mental health challenges reach their educational and employment goals.
Full Text
Youth Mental Health Bill of Rights

Youth Mental Health Bill of Rights

DescriptionThis new one-pager lists the Youth Mental Health Bill of Rights as first outlined on the back page of the 2009 Youth Summit Report.
Full Text
Things People Never Told Me

Things People Never Told Me

DescriptionThis compilation of suggestions about finances, health care, employment, and relationships from foster youth transitioning to adulthood is aimed at equipping other youth leaving foster care with the necessary tools to become independent and successful adults.
Full Text
Tips on Core Competencies for Transition Service Providers

Tips on Core Competencies for Transition Service Providers

DescriptionThis document describes ten competencies that transition service providers working with young people with mental health difficulties should develop in order to be effective.
Full Text
Strengthening Family Support for Young People with Mental Health Needs in the Transition to Adulthood

Strengthening Family Support for Young People with Mental Health Needs in the Transition to Adulthood: A Tip Sheet for Service Providers

DescriptionThis document instructs service providers in strategies for engaging families in supporting young people with the transition to adulthood.
Full Text
If, When, and How to Disclose to an Employer That You Have a Mental Health Disability

If, When, and How to Disclose to an Employer That You Have a Mental Health Disability

DescriptionThis fact sheet helps young people with mental health conditions determine the best strategies for whether and how to disclose their conditions to an employer.
Full Text
Strategic Sharing Workbook

Strategic Sharing Workbook: Youth Voice in Advocacy

DescriptionThis workbook, produced by the FFCMH and Pathways RTC, is for individuals who have experienced traumatic life events and are interested in sharing their stories in an effort to promote change.
Full Text
Student Loans, For-Profit Colleges, and Traditional Colleges

FAQ: Student Loans, For-Profit Colleges, and Traditional Colleges: Some Things You Should Know Before Borrowing

DescriptionThis FAQ is designed to help prospective college students become better informed about student loans, particularly those used to finance education at for-profit institutions.
Full Text
Focal Point (2012): Healthy Body – Healthy Mind

Focal Point (2012): Healthy Body – Healthy Mind , v.26

DescriptionThis issue of "Focal Point" focuses on the recognition that mental health and physical health should not be considered separately. It addresses how the mind and body impact each other, and how we can strive to achieve balance within ourselves.
Full Text
Best Practices for Increasing Meaningful Youth Participation in Collaborative Team Planning

Best Practices for Increasing Meaningful Youth Participation in Collaborative Team Planning

DescriptionThis brief offers tips to increase meaningful youth participation in collaborative team planning meetings.
Full Text
Search for Other Publications