Abstract
| Funding for this project went toward creating a regional eight-bed juvenile substance abuse crisis center facility co-located with the county’s existing juvenile detention center. The aim of the project was to reduce the gap in treatment available to juveniles, provide outreach services, enhance the capacity of other components of the treatment system, improve public health and safety, and demonstrate an effective continuum of care for the juvenile population. |
Objectives
McKinley County Juvenile Substance Abuse Crisis Center specific objectives are: to reduce the gap in substance abuse treatment available to juveniles in McKinley County; provide detoxification (social) and initial treatment services (early intervention) to juveniles under the influence of alcohol and/or other substances; offer assessment of additional treatment needs; and provide matching, referral, and other processes linking juveniles to a wide range of programs to demonstrate an effective continuum of care for a rural juvenile population.
Indian Nation Served
The majority of youth served by the center are Navajo and Zuni although the center also serves youth who are Apache, Hopi, Laguna-Acoma, and Yute.
Key Components
The center provides safe shelter for children under the influence, referrals to counseling or treatment agencies, in-house assessments for substance abuse, follow up service including school counseling, and mental health evaluations. (The center houses the youth for a short period of time, 6-72 hours.) Staff make appointments and referrals for youth and follow up with agencies to see that youth have kept their appointments. Youth are brought to the center mainly by law enforcement. The center believes that all youth are entitled to know the truth about drugs and alcohol; they are entitled to a safe and healthy environment that contributes to their success in life; that there is a possibility of mental, spiritual, and physical balance; that with help, youth can achieve and sustain that harmony.
Evaluation Design
The process evaluation was carried out through a review of program documents and through an Implementation Checklist derived from the text of the funding proposal and administered periodically to measure the completeness of program implementation and fidelity to the program design. A System Survey was used to develop a baseline against which the impact of the program on the system of social services in McKinley County could be measured. The key evaluation instruments used to measure change were those used by the national cross-site evaluation: the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) questionnaire with an Adolescent Cluster addendum. Some additional questions geared to local data needs were added to the survey. These surveys were administered at intake, 6-month and 12-month follow up.
Evaluation Results
The process evaluation was carried out through a review of program documents and through an Implementation Checklist derived from the text of the funding proposal and administered periodically to measure the completeness of program implementation and fidelity to the program design. A System Survey was used to develop a baseline against which the impact of the program on the system of social services in McKinley County could be measured. The key evaluation instruments used to measure change were those used by the national cross-site evaluation: the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) questionnaire with an Adolescent Cluster addendum. Some additional questions geared to local data needs were added to the survey. These surveys were administered at intake, 6-month and 12-month follow up.
Products Developed
None.