Blueprints
Promising Programs
Program Overview:
CASASTART (Striving Together to Achieve Rewarding
Tomorrows), formerly the Children at Risk
(CAR) program, targets youth in high risk environments,
and seeks to reduce their exposure to drugs and criminal
activity. The program seeks to decrease individual,
peer group, family and neighborhood risk factors through
case management services, after-school and summer
activities, and increased police involvement. CASASTART
also works to improve attachment to adults, attachment
to prosocial norms, school performance, and participation
in prosocial activities/peer groups.
Program Targets:
Youth who participated in this program were aged 11-13,
a time when most youth are most developmentally vulnerable,
who were living in severely distressed neighborhoods.
These youth met criteria for being at risk in school,
in the family and at personal risk.
Program Content:
There are 8 core CASASTART components which target
different areas of risk for youth, including the family,
peer group, individual, and community:
-
Community-Enhanced Policing/Enhanced
Enforcement: increases police presence and
involvement in the community and working with
youth.
-
Case Management: small
caseloads (13-18 families) ensure close attention
to the needs of participating youth and their
families and implementation of plans to meet their
needs.
-
Criminal/Juvenile Justice
Intervention: communication between case
managers and the juvenile justice and probation
departments ensure enhanced supervision and planning
for youth who become involved with the courts.
-
Family Services: parent
programs, counseling services, organized activities
and family advocacy by case managers increase
positive involvement of parents in the lives of
their children.
-
After-School and Summer Activities:
offer prosocial activities with peers. These types
of activities include not only recreation and
entertainment but also personal social development
programs, particularly those aimed at self-esteem,
cultural heritage, and social problems.
-
Education Services: strengthen
individual skills by offering tutoring and homework
assistance, as well as work preparation opportunities.
-
Mentoring: group or one-to-one
relationships are fostered to promote positive
behaviors.
-
Incentives: both monetary
and non-monetary incentives for participation
in CASASTART activities.
Program Outcomes:
The only significant difference immediately following
the program was: a lower rate of past month drug use,
lifetime use of gateway drugs, and any drug use among
CASASTART youth compared to the quasi-experimental
group; no differences between CASASTART youth and
control group. Most differences between CASASTART
youth, a control (C) group and a quasi-experimental
(Q) group (of matched neighborhoods and youth) occurred
at one-year follow-up. At one-year follow-up, CASASTART
youth, compared to the two control groups (C and Q):
- were less likely to report past-month use of
any drugs, gateway drugs, or stronger drugs (C);
- were less likely to report past year use of any
drugs and gateway drugs (C);
- were less likely to report lifetime use of any
drugs or gateway drugs (Q);
- reported lower levels of violent crimes in the
past year and were less likely to be involved in
drug sales during the last month (C); and
- were less likely to report lifetime drug sales
(C and Q).
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