'It is important also to determine if this implementation is cost-effective and to what degree the implementation of these models can be replicated.' 'However, it is important to invest in program evaluation at this scale to determine how the implementation of these models actually occurs and what factors contribute to improved outcome,' Davis added. A young person is less likely to use substances when he or she is supported by and included in the community,' Davis said. 'Research suggests that programs that incorporate community involvement favorably impact the likelihood of relapse and recidivism. For the evalution, SIROW will focus on programs located in several states across the country. Preliminary findings suggest that the integrated nature of Reclaiming Futures Model is indeed effective, said Monica Davis, SIROW's evaluation coordiantor. So we'll be teasing out what might be some of the barriers to implementation.' 'We want to know if it might work better for some communities, certain kids and some families. 'It's a very promising approach,' Stevens said. Thus, SIROW will evaluate the Juvenile Drug Court/Reclaiming Futures impact on the lives of youth, determining improvements in social engagement and also emotional and mental health, Stevens said.

One of the main concerns driving the need for such an evaluation and improved policy and practices are the public-health concerns, and also the health, safety and wellness of the youth and members of their families. Improve what is known about the Juvenile Drug Courts/Reclaiming Futures modelĪnalyze the efforts of the Juvenile Drug Courts/Reclaiming Futures model, such as training approaches and services to participantsĭetermine where and how the models may be replicatedĮvaluate the potential for replicating these models Among them are about 12 courts that have adopted the Reclaiming Futures model, a three-pronged integration of treatment, community systems reforms and community engagement through evidence-based practices.Īssess the combined models, focusing on performance, efficiency and cost effectiveness “Nearly 490 juvenile drug courts exist nationally, along with others being planned,” Stevens said. The models were born out of a partnership formed in 2009 among OJJDP, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Previous studies have been limited, and the SIROW evaluation is 'the first to focus on the impact of the combined models,” Stevens said. 'But in order to cut costs and improve treatments, we need to know what is working, not assume we know, to promote what works at a level that is local, statewide and national.' 'We know that with kids involved in criminal acts and substance abuse, the cost of treatments for them is expensive,' said Sally Stevens, SIROW's executive director and principal investigator on the grant. 'There is a critical need to identify effective models that address co-occurring disorders to help justice-involved youth.'įor the next three to four years, SIROW will study nine Juvenile Drug Courts/Reclaiming Futures programs, which target nonviolent, substance-abusing youth. 'Even though experts are increasingly recognizing the co-occurrence of substance use and mental-health problems, very few services focus on or treat more than one of these issues,” Greene said. This is a population of youth that experience high rates of trauma, substance abuse and mental-health problems,' said Alison Greene, an associate research social scientist for SIROW and co-principal investigator on the grant.

'Across the U.S., there are approximately 93,000 young people in juvenile justice facilities.

Though an interagency agreement with the Library of Congress, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, or OJJDP, is funding the research. The institute, SIROW, will lead the evaluation of programs that have adopted the combined Juvenile Drug Courts/Reclaiming Futures model to improve alcohol and drug treatment for teenagers. juvenile drug courts that are implementing the national program, Reclaiming Futures. With a newly granted $1.29 million, the University of Arizona's Southwest Institute for Research on Women will conduct a multi-year evaluation of U.S. The UA's Southwest Institute for Research on Women has received a $1.29 million grant to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of juvenile drug court programs across the nation.

Timothy pixen