RENEW FAQ

Kelsey works on a "Dreams" map

RENEW is an evidence-informed, youth-driven planning process that focuses on school-to-adult life transition and the development of a network of people who will help the youth to achieve his or her goals.

RENEW is designed for transition-aged youth (14-26) who are experiencing challenges in their home, school, and community. RENEW works best for youth who have a need to be in charge of their own process and support system. RENEW is often used with youth who have not engaged in, or responded to previous supports.

There are (4) phases in the RENEW process. Phase 1 begins with the youth making the decision that RENEW is the support they need. The youth works with a trained RENEW Facilitator to develop a personalized plan that reflects who they are and where they want to go in life. In phase 2, the Facilitator supports the youth to recruit help and resources that are necessary to implement their plan. During the third phase, the Facilitator mentors the youth to monitor progress toward goals and reflect on their experiences and outcomes. Finally, when the youth has developed strong self-determination skills, the youth then transitions out of RENEW into less intensive supports completing the fourth phase.

RENEW has been the focus of many qualitative and correlative studies. For nearly two decades, RENEW has shown strong evidence that it is a promising practice for improving outcomes with transition-age youth experiencing emotional and/or behavioral challenges. Visit Research & Resources for a full list of studies and book chapters.

RENEW has been successfully implemented with fidelity in high schools, middle schools, mental health centers, alternative schools, behavioral programs, and out-of-district placements.

RENEW is an application of family-driven Wraparound, including many of the principles and strategies as defined by the National Wraparound Initiative, for transition-aged youth. The main difference is that RENEW focuses on the youth’s career-related goals instead of the family’s goals. This has shown to increase engagement of youth over the traditional Wraparound model.

A RENEW facilitator is someone who guides a youth through the RENEW process. This person has received RENEW facilitator training by a certified RENEW trainer.

Anyone who connects well with youth who have complex life challenges. People who already spend a lot of time supporting this population are good candidates. We’ve seen administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, mental health providers, social workers and many more professionals excel at using the model with youth.

In order to schedule a training for your organization, or to attend a RENEW Facilitator Training Institute, contact email: iod.renew@unh.edu

The RENEW team at the IOD uses implementation science to determine the readiness of an organization to implement RENEW. They offer both on-site training and coaching for RENEW readiness and implementation. The RENEW IOD team also helps sites prepare for the resources, supports, and logistics needed for Facilitators to feel successful in their work with youth.