In Simple Words
Developing an iterative service plan is like building a custom house with a trusted contractor; instead of giving a buyer a generic blueprint, the contractor meets regularly with the buyer to adjust plans, solve unexpected building obstacles, and establish deep personal trust so the buyer feels safe reporting major structural flaws.
Research question
Low-income community college students experiencing severe personal crises—such as domestic violence, mental illness, or housing instability—rarely disclose these sensitive barriers to traditional campus advisors, preventing timely institutional support.
Participants
N = 94 active program participants at Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus in Fort Worth, Texas.
Study Design
Qualitative implementation study and administrative case note evaluation of client-navigator interaction patterns.
Results
Service plans were collaboratively reviewed and updated every 90 days, enabling navigators to build sufficient rapport for students to disclose intimate personal crises and complete action steps across 33.8 interactions per semester.
Takeaway
Establish mandatory 90-day review cycles for individualized student service plans to maintain structured progress tracking and build disclosure-enabling advisor rapport.