ABSTRACT
Many youth spend several hours each day in out-of-school time or afterschool programs (ASPs), which contribute to youth social-emotional and academic outcomes. Inadequate safety, structure, and supervision during afterschool hours leads to increases in risky behaviors, whereas high-quality ASPs have the potential to foster positive youth development, including academic engagement, social competence, and prosocial leadership. Engagement in high quality ASPs may be especially critical for youth with, or at risk for, emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD). In this chapter we are guided by systems theory, public health models, prevention and implementation science, and mental health research to provide a framework for understanding and enhancing social processes in ASPs for youth with EBD. Social processes are the interpersonal interactions that create safe, supportive, and enriching environments and opportunities for the development of youth competence. In this chapter, our goals are to (a) synthesize evidence on high-quality ASPs for youth with EBD, (b) identify the common elements of high-quality ASPs, and (c) present exemplar research-practice partnerships working to improve social processes and impact outcomes for youth with EBD. We end with recommendations to increase the likelihood that more ASPs will achieve their potential to enhance the positive development of youth with EBD.
