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June 2022Vol. 23, No. 5The On the Way Home Reunification Program

On the Way Home (OTWH) is a 12- to 14-month reunification program aimed at addressing the transition needs of middle and high school youth who have—or who are at risk of having—emotional and behavioral disorders after staying in residential care, as well as their caregivers. Because this population of youth has unique educational and family-based transition challenges, the OTWH program provides 12 months of reunification support after youth are discharged from a residential care home. The program modifies and integrates three interventions: Check & Connect, Common Sense Parenting, and homework support. Services are provided by a trained OTWH consultant in the family's home as well as in the school and community.

The program has three main goals to help promote youth home stability and prevent school dropout:

  • Increase family empowerment and self-efficacy through teaching prosocial and parenting skills
  • Engage youth in school and assist in academic success with a goal of graduation
  • Improve child-caregiver relationships to create placement stability
Youth and families work with trained consultants for an average of 2 hours per week. 

For more information on the program, including training and implementation information, visit the OTWH page on the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare website.