Evaluation of the Colorado Integrated System of Care Family Advocacy Demonstration Programs for Mental Health Juvenile Justice Populations, Interim Report -- Year Two

• NCJ Number: 235538
• Author(s): Kerry Cataldo; Kevin Ford
• Date Published: January 2010
• Length: 54 pages
• Corporate Author: Colorado Dept of Public Safety
• Sale Source: Colorado Dept of Public Safety
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This second interim report on Colorado's family advocacy demonstration programs for youth with mental health and co-occurring health and behavioral problems describes updates to the study design, a program description of the new rural pilot site, the identification of comparison groups, program challenges, and preliminary data.

Abstract

Data were collected for the period of January 1, 2008, through August 31, 2009. As of August 31, 2009, 69 juveniles had participated in the family advocacy demonstration programs (30 in the urban program, 29 in the suburban program, and 10 in the rural Teller program). The urban and suburban sites met their enrollment goals. Just over 50 percent of the youth participants have been discharged from their respective family advocacy programs; 10 of the discharges were unsuccessful completions due to families moving from the service area, requesting withdrawal from the program, or becoming unresponsive or unreachable for unknown reasons. As of February 16, 2009, the rural site in Teller County concluded its family advocacy service and withdrew their family advocacy demonstration program from the study. The primary evaluation activities have been irreparably impeded. Currently, 34 youth are active participants in the three family advocacy programs, including the new rural site in Montrose County. The type of family advocacy services provided to clients and their families include contact with the youth's supervising officer, treatment providers, and school staff; attendance at court hearings and client service staffings; conducting home visits; and regularly staying in touch with the youth and family. Evaluation researchers have worked with the family advocacy sites to assist in the difficult and time-consuming task of identifying viable comparison groups and developing measurement procedures. In the coming months of the evaluation, researchers will continue to collect and analyze data from interviews, paper-and-pencil measures, and consumer and site-level information. 16 tables, 2 references, and appended relevant State legislation