PhD research: ‘Classic’ youth care is effective

15 September 2020

Herben’s research shows that truly successful support occurs through close contact between care giver and care receiver. Herben: “As a care professional, your job is to get a young or older person to reassume responsibility for their life. This may require long-term support. The professional goes the extra mile and is given the time and room to truly connect with the person needing help.” Professionals are often hindered by the complex structure of today’s care provisions. In Herben’s view the care system is spread out over too many layers, with too many care coordinators, case managers, youth managers and other people in management positions, compared to the actual care practitioner. 

As a result of policy changes, vulnerable people are now expected to show a strong measure of self-reliance, says Herben. Care professionals often end up split between the support they wish to offer and the conditions that professional care must fulfil. These conditions often reimpose responsibility unnecessarily, or push the responsibility to higher levels, and interventions are sometimes terminated with the argument that the client failed to cooperate sufficiently. As a result, care-avoiding families and youths from vulnerable families drop off the radar prematurely, and at a later stage prove unreachable for care professionals. By the time they reappear on the radar, the issues have accumulated. Young adults may be severely indebted, may have become homeless, have developed mental issues, and have run-ins with the police. Such problems could have been prevented if the young people have been taken by the hand more firmly in an earlier stage.

Herben studied the effects of two classic-type methods, ReSet and New Perspectives. Such approaches give the care professional more time and room to connect with the client, to become familiar with his or her life world, and to develop skills in supporting vulnerable youths and families in problematical situations.  She furthermore discovered that a classic approach reveals the correct sequence of support. There’s not much point to addressing mental issues when certain basic needs, such as housing, are not cared for. Herben acknowledges that such methods demand idealism and commitment on the part of the professional, but then these are important reasons for people to choose this profession – and it makes the work so much more rewarding.

Marion Herben is a field worker, behavioural scientist and researcher at JIT (XtraPlus) and Intermetzo.

Read further (Dutch only): 

'Regels belemmeren de idealistische jeugdprofessional', Binnenlands Bestuur  

'Jeugdprofessionals in een spagaat', Sozio

'Gevraagd: vakman met lef', Sociale Vraagstukken

Interview with Marion Herben by Van Montfoort

PhD Defence 

Marion Herben, Effectief Verbinden - Resultaatgerichte (door)ontwikkeling van interventies (Connecting effectively: result-driven development of interventions)

28 September 2020

University of Humanistic Studies

Information: Y.nelen@uvh.nl 

Photo by Trinity Kubassek via Pexels

According to researcher Marion Herben, the ‘classic’ type of youth care with its emphasis on a personal approach and active support is effective. Herben monitored the support provided to over 900 youths and 400 families.