Psychosocial Functioning Among Juvenile Offenders 12 Months After Family Empowerment Intervention

• NCJ Number: 187380
• Journal: Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 32 Issue: 1/2 Dated: 2000 Pages: 1-56
• Author(s): Richard Dembo Ph.D.; William Seeberger B.A.; Marina Shemwell B.A.; James Schmeidler Ph.D.; Laine Klein B.A.; Matthew W. Rollie; Kimberly Pacheco B.A.; Amy Hartsfield B.A.; Werner Wothke Ph.D.
• Editor(s): Nathaniel J. Pallone Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 56 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1-R01-DA08707
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This longitudinal study examined the effects of services provided by the Youth Support Project in Tampa, Florida, a service delivery study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that used a systems and structural approach to improve the functioning of young people entering the juvenile justice system and their families.

Abstract

Initial interviews were completed with 315 youth processed at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Assessment Center from September 1, 1994, through January 31, 1998. Second year interviews were completed with 272 of the youth, for an overall completion rate of 86.3 percent. Families were randomly assigned to receive the Extended Services Intervention (ESI) or the Family Empowerment Intervention (FEI). Of the 272 youth, 141 or 52 percent were ESI cases and 131 or 48 percent were FEI cases. The impact of the FEI was assessed in terms of the psychosocial functioning of the 272 youth and the empowerment of parents. Families in the ESI group received monthly telephone contacts and, if indicated, referral information. FEI families received three 1-hour home-based meetings per week for 10 weeks from a clinician-trained paraprofessional. Outcome analyses indicated that, compared to ESI youth, youth receiving FEI services reported fewer drug sales during the follow-up period, getting very high or drunk on alcohol less often, and less marijuana use and had a lower hair test positive rate for marijuana use at follow-up. Further, analyses found youth completing the FEI had much better psychosocial outcomes than youth not completing the FEI. Overall, results provided strong and consistent support for the efficacy of the FEI. Appendixes contain information on juvenile court referral reasons and on psychosocial, offense history, and abuse and neglect history variables used in the analyses. 46 references and 24 tables