Heather N Taussig
Biographic Data
| ID | 4781499 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Heather N Taussig |
| GIVEN NAMES | Heather N |
| FAMILY NAME | Taussig |
| SIGNATURE | TAUSSIG H N |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Denver |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7909-2988 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 38 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 85 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 38 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1999 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
The Transition-Age Youth Special Interest Group
This paper provides an overview of the history and current activities of a group of researchers focused on the experiences of young people who “age out” of foster care in the United States. These transition-age youth (TAY) often have intersecting marginalized identities, as youth of color, queer youth, and youth with disabilities are disproportionately represented in care. Members of the Transition-Age Youth Special Interest Group (TAY-SIG) condu…
Navigating Relationships With Birth Family After Aging Out of Foster Care
As young people age out of foster care, many seek out their birth parents and extended families, but little is known about how these connections are navigated given past separations. Drawing from data previously collected from young people who aged out of foster care in a metropolitan area of one Western state ( n = 57), this study analyzed the responses from 53 young adults between the ages of 18 and 22 who answered two open-ended questions abou…
Exogenous Correlates of Substance Use Among Youth Who Have Experienced Maltreatment and Child Welfare Involvement
BACKGROUND: Adolescents with a history of maltreatment and child welfare involvement are at elevated risk for substance use, but few studies have focused on exogenous correlates (e.g., neighborhood, family, and peer characteristics) of substance use in this population. The current cross-sectional study explored associations between exogenous risk and protective factors and past-year substance use. METHODS: = 0.67) who had experienced maltreatment…
Hurt, loss, joy, and forgiveness
The Association between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the Mental Health of Adolescents with Child Welfare Involvement
Post‐Secondary Educational Aspirations Among Young Adults With Foster Care Experience
Post‐secondary educational outcomes for young people with care experience are poor. Studies have typically been limited to those who have aged out of care and have typically examined college/university attendance. Non‐college educational options have potential for gaining credentials to secure productive employment, but these options have received less investigation. Using data from the Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF) study, which included a broa…
Knowledge of and access to contraceptive information and services among teenagers with child welfare involvement
Long‐term impact of the Fostering Healthy Futures for Preteens program on suicide‐related thoughts and behaviors for youth in out‐of‐home care
Youth in out‐of‐home care are at high risk for suicide‐related thoughts and behaviors (STB), yet there are no known efficacious interventions that reduce STB for this population. Fostering Healthy Futures for Preteens (FHF‐P) is a 9‐month community‐based mentoring and skills training preventive intervention for children in out‐of‐home care. A randomized controlled trial enrolled 156 participants aged 9–11 years who were placed in out‐of‐home care…
Family doesn’t have to be mom and dad
Young people who experience out-of-home care have typically encountered difficult and/or disrupted family relationships. This article reports on a survey undertaken in the US with 215 young adults (aged 18–22) who experienced out-of-home care starting in pre-adolescence. The article examines responses to an open-ended interview question, ‘How do you define family?’ The analysis highlighted that few young people define family as confined to blood …
Early parenthood for males and females with foster care experience
Sources and Types of Social Supports and Their Association with Mental Health Symptoms and Life Satisfaction among Young Adults with a History of Out-of-Home Care
Young adults with a history of out-of-home care report poorer mental health and life satisfaction compared to non-care-experienced peers. Social support is a known protective factor for mental health. There is limited evidence, however, on the relationship between sources (e.g., family members) and types (e.g., information) of social support and mental health symptoms and life satisfaction in this population. Reporting cross-sectional survey data…
Engagement in a Preventive Intervention for Preadolescent Children in Foster Care
Sexual and reproductive health protective factors among adolescents with child welfare involvement
Mentoring Children in Foster Care
Mentoring‐based interventions show promise among children in foster care, but previous research suggests that some benefit more than others. Because children in foster care experience relationship disruptions that could affect mentoring effectiveness, we examined whether children’s relational histories at baseline (i.e., relationship quality with birth parents, relationship quality with foster parents, caregiver instability, and previous mentorin…
Child Welfare Workers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Communication About Sexual Health With Youth Involved in Child Welfare
Objective: Despite elevated rates of undesirable sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes among youth involved in child welfare, caseworkers do not routinely communicate about sexual health with the youths they work with. This study assessed the interrelationships of caseworkers’ attitudes, knowledge, and communication about sexual health with youth involved in the child welfare system. Method: Child welfare workers (N = 201) were surveyed r…
Academic achievement among a sample of youth in foster care
Research shows that youth in foster care experience poor academic performance and disciplinary actions in school more frequently than do non‐foster care youth. The purpose of this cross‐sectional study was to further examine youth in foster care and the relationship between individual/intrapersonal factors (future orientation and school connectedness) and exosystem factors (number of placement and school moves) and academic performance (grades) a…
Assessing the Mental Health of Maltreated Youth with Child Welfare Involvement Using Multi-Informant Reports
A Quasi-Experimental Study on Training Child Welfare Workers on Youth Sexual Health
Purpose: This quasi-experimental pilot study evaluated the preliminary efficacy of training designed to increase child welfare workers’ ( N = 156) knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to communicating with youth involved in the child welfare system about sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Method: Preintervention and 3-month follow-up survey data were collected from intervention participants ( n = 69) who registered for a sexual health t…
A Positive Youth Development Approach to Improving Mental Health Outcomes for Maltreated Children in Foster Care
Highlights Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF) is a preventive intervention for preadolescent youth in foster care. 95% of those offered FHF started the program, 92% completed it, and there was over 85% attendance. FHF reduced mental health symptoms, especially trauma, and mental health service utilization. Effects were consistent across almost all subgroups, suggesting FHF benefits diverse children. Positive youth development programming is acceptab…
Pregnancy attitudes and contraceptive use among young adults with histories of foster care
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health-Risk Behaviors in Vulnerable Early Adolescents
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with health-risk behaviors in general samples of adults and adolescents. The current study examined the association between ACEs and these behaviors among a high-risk sample of early adolescents. Five hundred and fifteen 9-11-year-old children placed in foster care due to maltreatment were interviewed about their engagement in violence, substance use, and delinquency. A multi-informant ACEs scor…
Mentoring Relationship Quality and Maltreated Children's Coping
Highlights Linking mentoring relationship quality to youth outcomes. Youth mentoring within a maltreated foster care sample. Youth mentoring in relation to multiple forms of youth coping
Mental health interventions for children in foster care
A First Look at Natural Mentoring Among Preadolescent Foster Children
This study describes natural mentoring among preadolescent children placed in out‐of‐home care and examines the association between natural mentoring and demographic, maltreatment, placement, and psychosocial characteristics. Cross‐sectional data from a sample of 263 children and their out‐of‐home caregivers were analyzed. Caregivers rated children's social skills, and children reported on their perceived opportunities and attachment to peers and…
Fostering Healthy Futures for Teens
Too often program adaptations are made without careful consideration of important contextual issues, and too infrequently, these adapted programs are studied. Our process of program adaptation with rigorous measurement of program implementation provides a useful model for other evidence-based programs seeking thoughtful adaptation
Do youth in out-of-home care receive recommended mental health and educational services following screening evaluations
Children's appraisals of their experiences in out-of-home care
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health-Risk Behaviors in Vulnerable Early Adolescents
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with health-risk behaviors in general samples of adults and adolescents. The current study examined the association between ACEs and these behaviors among a high-risk sample of early adolescents. Five hundred and fifteen 9-11-year-old children placed in foster care due to maltreatment were interviewed about their engagement in violence, substance use, and delinquency. A multi-informant ACEs scor…
A Positive Youth Development Approach to Improving Mental Health Outcomes for Maltreated Children in Foster Care
Highlights Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF) is a preventive intervention for preadolescent youth in foster care. 95% of those offered FHF started the program, 92% completed it, and there was over 85% attendance. FHF reduced mental health symptoms, especially trauma, and mental health service utilization. Effects were consistent across almost all subgroups, suggesting FHF benefits diverse children. Positive youth development programming is acceptab…
Mentoring Relationship Quality and Maltreated Children's Coping
Highlights Linking mentoring relationship quality to youth outcomes. Youth mentoring within a maltreated foster care sample. Youth mentoring in relation to multiple forms of youth coping
Psychosocial Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Exposure in Maltreated Adolescents
Outcome Expectancies and Risk Behaviors in Maltreated Adolescents
This study examined positive and negative outcome expectancies for risk behaviors, and their association with engagement in risk behaviors, in a sample of 149 maltreated adolescents. “Outcome Expectancies” are evaluative social cognitions about what will occur as a consequence of one's actions. Risk behaviors and outcome expectancies for substance use, sexual behavior, and delinquency were assessed. In all regression models, positive expectancies…
A Quasi-Experimental Study on Training Child Welfare Workers on Youth Sexual Health
Purpose: This quasi-experimental pilot study evaluated the preliminary efficacy of training designed to increase child welfare workers’ ( N = 156) knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to communicating with youth involved in the child welfare system about sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Method: Preintervention and 3-month follow-up survey data were collected from intervention participants ( n = 69) who registered for a sexual health t…
A First Look at Natural Mentoring Among Preadolescent Foster Children
This study describes natural mentoring among preadolescent children placed in out‐of‐home care and examines the association between natural mentoring and demographic, maltreatment, placement, and psychosocial characteristics. Cross‐sectional data from a sample of 263 children and their out‐of‐home caregivers were analyzed. Caregivers rated children's social skills, and children reported on their perceived opportunities and attachment to peers and…
Mentoring Children in Foster Care
Mentoring‐based interventions show promise among children in foster care, but previous research suggests that some benefit more than others. Because children in foster care experience relationship disruptions that could affect mentoring effectiveness, we examined whether children’s relational histories at baseline (i.e., relationship quality with birth parents, relationship quality with foster parents, caregiver instability, and previous mentorin…
Fostering Healthy Futures for Teens
Too often program adaptations are made without careful consideration of important contextual issues, and too infrequently, these adapted programs are studied. Our process of program adaptation with rigorous measurement of program implementation provides a useful model for other evidence-based programs seeking thoughtful adaptation
Pregnancy attitudes and contraceptive use among young adults with histories of foster care
Family doesn’t have to be mom and dad
Young people who experience out-of-home care have typically encountered difficult and/or disrupted family relationships. This article reports on a survey undertaken in the US with 215 young adults (aged 18–22) who experienced out-of-home care starting in pre-adolescence. The article examines responses to an open-ended interview question, ‘How do you define family?’ The analysis highlighted that few young people define family as confined to blood …
Use of a Web-Based Data System to Conduct a Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intervention for Children Placed in Out-of-Home Care
Journal Article Use of a Web-Based Data System to Conduct a Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intervention for Children Placed in Out-of-Home Care Get access Heather N. Taussig, PhD, Heather N. Taussig, PhD associate professor of pediatrics and psychiatry Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13123 E 16th Avenue, B390, Aurora, CO 80045…
The Structure of Problem Behavior in a Sample of Maltreated Youths
Journal Article The Structure of Problem Behavior in a Sample of Maltreated Youths Get access Sara E. Culhane, PhD, JD, Sara E. Culhane, PhD, JD research senior instructor Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine Address correspondence to Sara E. Culhane, Kempe Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 1825 Marion Street, Denver, CO 80218…
Youth Entering an Emergency Shelter Care Facility
Two hundred and ninety five youth between 11 and 17 years of age who entered an emergency shelter care facility reported on their prior involvement with mental health and criminal justice systems. More than a quarter indicated a prior arrest, 10.5% reported a hospital admission, and 43.1% said they had received counseling. An overall logistic regression model revealed that youth who had received counseling prior to entry were almost 3 times more …
Youth Entering an Emergency Shelter Care Facility
Two hundred and ninety five youth between 11 and 17 years of age who entered an emergency shelter care facility reported on their prior involvement with mental health and criminal justice systems. More than a quarter indicated a prior arrest, 10.5% reported a hospital admission, and 43.1% said they had received counseling. An overall logistic regression model revealed that youth who had received counseling prior to entry were almost 3 times more …
Children Who Return Home From Foster Care
OBJECTIVE: Returning children to their biological families after placement in foster care (ie, reunification) has been prioritized with legislation. Comprehensive studies of child behavioral health functioning after reunification, however, have not been conducted. This study examined outcomes for youth who were reunified after placement in foster care as compared with youth who did not reunify. DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: Children who en…
Risk behaviors in maltreated youth placed in foster care
Outcome Expectancies and Risk Behaviors in Maltreated Adolescents
This study examined positive and negative outcome expectancies for risk behaviors, and their association with engagement in risk behaviors, in a sample of 149 maltreated adolescents. “Outcome Expectancies” are evaluative social cognitions about what will occur as a consequence of one's actions. Risk behaviors and outcome expectancies for substance use, sexual behavior, and delinquency were assessed. In all regression models, positive expectancies…
Interventions to prevent child maltreatment and associated impairment
Use of a Web-Based Data System to Conduct a Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intervention for Children Placed in Out-of-Home Care
Journal Article Use of a Web-Based Data System to Conduct a Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intervention for Children Placed in Out-of-Home Care Get access Heather N. Taussig, PhD, Heather N. Taussig, PhD associate professor of pediatrics and psychiatry Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13123 E 16th Avenue, B390, Aurora, CO 80045…
The Structure of Problem Behavior in a Sample of Maltreated Youths
Journal Article The Structure of Problem Behavior in a Sample of Maltreated Youths Get access Sara E. Culhane, PhD, JD, Sara E. Culhane, PhD, JD research senior instructor Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine Address correspondence to Sara E. Culhane, Kempe Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 1825 Marion Street, Denver, CO 80218…
Attention Problems Mediate the Association Between Severity of Physical Abuse and Aggressive Behavior in a Sample of Maltreated Early Adolescents
Empirical evidence has accumulated documenting an association between childhood physical abuse and aggressive behavior. Relatively fewer studies have explored possible mediating mechanisms that may explain this association. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether caregiver- and youth-reported attention problems mediate the association between physical abuse severity and aggressive behavior. A sample of 240 maltreated early adolesc…
Children's appraisals of their experiences in out-of-home care
Psychosocial Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Exposure in Maltreated Adolescents
Do youth in out-of-home care receive recommended mental health and educational services following screening evaluations
Psychosocial consequences of caregiver transitions for maltreated youth entering foster care
Youth who experience a greater number of caregiver transitions during childhood are at risk for developing a host of psychosocial problems. Although researchers have examined individual-level factors that may moderate this association, no known studies have examined the impact of community-level factors. The current study investigated whether community violence exposure (CVE) moderated the association between number of prior caregiver transitions…
Are maternal and community risk factors associated with the presence of asthma among children placed in foster care
Fostering Healthy Futures for Teens
Too often program adaptations are made without careful consideration of important contextual issues, and too infrequently, these adapted programs are studied. Our process of program adaptation with rigorous measurement of program implementation provides a useful model for other evidence-based programs seeking thoughtful adaptation
Mental health interventions for children in foster care
A First Look at Natural Mentoring Among Preadolescent Foster Children
This study describes natural mentoring among preadolescent children placed in out‐of‐home care and examines the association between natural mentoring and demographic, maltreatment, placement, and psychosocial characteristics. Cross‐sectional data from a sample of 263 children and their out‐of‐home caregivers were analyzed. Caregivers rated children's social skills, and children reported on their perceived opportunities and attachment to peers and…
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health-Risk Behaviors in Vulnerable Early Adolescents
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with health-risk behaviors in general samples of adults and adolescents. The current study examined the association between ACEs and these behaviors among a high-risk sample of early adolescents. Five hundred and fifteen 9-11-year-old children placed in foster care due to maltreatment were interviewed about their engagement in violence, substance use, and delinquency. A multi-informant ACEs scor…
Mentoring Relationship Quality and Maltreated Children's Coping
Highlights Linking mentoring relationship quality to youth outcomes. Youth mentoring within a maltreated foster care sample. Youth mentoring in relation to multiple forms of youth coping
Pregnancy attitudes and contraceptive use among young adults with histories of foster care
A Positive Youth Development Approach to Improving Mental Health Outcomes for Maltreated Children in Foster Care
Highlights Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF) is a preventive intervention for preadolescent youth in foster care. 95% of those offered FHF started the program, 92% completed it, and there was over 85% attendance. FHF reduced mental health symptoms, especially trauma, and mental health service utilization. Effects were consistent across almost all subgroups, suggesting FHF benefits diverse children. Positive youth development programming is acceptab…
Academic achievement among a sample of youth in foster care
Research shows that youth in foster care experience poor academic performance and disciplinary actions in school more frequently than do non‐foster care youth. The purpose of this cross‐sectional study was to further examine youth in foster care and the relationship between individual/intrapersonal factors (future orientation and school connectedness) and exosystem factors (number of placement and school moves) and academic performance (grades) a…
Assessing the Mental Health of Maltreated Youth with Child Welfare Involvement Using Multi-Informant Reports
A Quasi-Experimental Study on Training Child Welfare Workers on Youth Sexual Health
Purpose: This quasi-experimental pilot study evaluated the preliminary efficacy of training designed to increase child welfare workers’ ( N = 156) knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to communicating with youth involved in the child welfare system about sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Method: Preintervention and 3-month follow-up survey data were collected from intervention participants ( n = 69) who registered for a sexual health t…
Child Welfare Workers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Communication About Sexual Health With Youth Involved in Child Welfare
Objective: Despite elevated rates of undesirable sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes among youth involved in child welfare, caseworkers do not routinely communicate about sexual health with the youths they work with. This study assessed the interrelationships of caseworkers’ attitudes, knowledge, and communication about sexual health with youth involved in the child welfare system. Method: Child welfare workers (N = 201) were surveyed r…
Early parenthood for males and females with foster care experience
Medicine (32 works) · Psychology (31 works) · Child Welfare and Adoption (28 works) · Psychiatry (23 works) · Developmental psychology (21 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (20 works) · Clinical Psychology (16 works) · Nursing (16 works) · Environmental health (14 works) · Foster care (13 works)