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Guide
to Effective Programs
for Children and Youth |
Creating Lasting Connections
OVERVIEW
Creating Lasting Connections (CLC) is a community- and faith-based initiative designed to delay the onset and subsequent use of alcohol and other drugs by adolescents. The program operates by targeting various community, family and youth protective factors in an attempt to enhance the overall resiliency of families and children. CLC consists of a system level intervention that targets community resources in addition to a client level intervention that involves families and adolescents. The interventions include skills training modules, early intervention, and case management services. An evaluation of the CLC program found positive impacts on service utilization by parents and youth as well as on measures of parent knowledge.
The Creating Lasting Connections program works to delay the onset and use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) by promoting the health, wellness and resiliency of adolescents, their families and communities. The program consists of two main components and runs for approximately one year. The system level component works to mobilize the community by engaging church staff and volunteers to advocate for substance abuse prevention programs, resources, and services. The program organizes Church Advocate Teams that receive approximately 8 to 10 weeks of training. Upon completion of training, teams are responsible for identifying and recruiting high-risk families in the community, assisting with program implementation and evaluation, and ultimately ensuring ongoing family participation and engagement.
The client level component of CLC consists of parent and youth training modules, early intervention services, and follow-up case management. These three components are organized into three distinct phases. Phases one and two are known as the Family and Individual Domains, respectively. The parent training module is implemented during phase one, while the youth training module is implemented during phase two. CLC consists of two parent training modules which are known as AOD Issues Training and Not My Child, each of which lasts between 16 and 20 hours. The AOD Issues Training module teaches parents about substance use and abuse, available prevention programs and information regarding chemical dependency. The Not My Child module emphasizes family planning and management skills for addressing substance use, in addition to developing expectations and consequences for youth. The final training module, Straight Communications Training, involves both parents and youth. This module emphasizes communication skills and incorporates role-playing and family oriented social activities. Parents and adolescents meet separately for 8 to 12 hours and then come together to practice techniques.
Early intervention services are offered for at least a year throughout the three phases. These services are intended to foster family resiliency by offering ongoing support and resources. Case management services are offered during phase three, after completion of both training modules. These follow-up services are provided bi-monthly by phone or through home visits by a case manager. Services and referrals are offered for approximately five to six months after the program.
Approach: Two evaluations were designed to assess effects on church community engagement and family and adolescent outcomes. For purposes of this report, only family and adolescent outcomes will be discussed. High-risk families and adolescents in five communities were recruited by the Church Advocate Teams described previously. Upon selection and consent, families were randomly assigned to receive the CLC intervention or to a control group. Data were collected at baseline, prior to the program intervention and again six to seven months later after the training modules were completed. The third and final wave of data collection occurred after approximately one year, after follow-up case management services had been offered. Each family designated one parent and one child ages 12 to 14 to complete interviews and questionnaires on parent and youth resiliency factors and service utilization and perceptions.
Parents and children were both evaluated on measures of community involvement, service utilization, actions taken because of services received and perceived helpfulness of services. Parent resiliency outcomes included AOD knowledge and beliefs, family communication, parents’ AOD use, family monitoring and supervision as well as involvement of the child in establishing rules. Adolescent resiliency outcomes included self-awareness and communication about AOD use and school work, communication with peers, and bonding with family members.
The evaluation involved numerous hypotheses testing the interaction effects of the CLC program on parent and family outcomes. See the full report for details.
Results: Evaluators found no significant differences between the program and comparison groups at baseline, nor did they find attrition bias throughout the course of the study.
At wave three, following case management follow-up services, parents in the intervention reported taking more action on account of community services received than parents in the control group (p=.05). CLC parents also perceived these services to be helpful at higher rates than their control counterparts (p=.04). Compared with adolescents in the control group, those in the CLC treatment group also reported greater community service utilization. CLC adolescents reported significantly more service use when problems arose, taking more action on account of services received, and more perceived helpfulness than their control group peers (p=.001).
Program effects on parent outcomes revealed that parents in the treatment group had greater short-term and sustained knowledge of AOD, when compared with parents in the control group (p<.001). Furthermore, CLC parents were significantly better at involving youth in setting AOD rules than those in the control group (p<.001). This effect, although significant in the short-term, became marginal at wave three. Parents’ substance use, community involvement, family communication, and other family management skills were not significantly affected by program treatment.
Program impacts on adolescent outcomes were inconclusive. Adolescent-reported bonding with mothers increased among program participants; however this effect only approached significance when compared with the control group (p<.10). All other findings on adolescent outcome comparisons were nonsignificant.
Link to program curriculum: http://www.copes.org/include/order.htm
Johnson, K., Strader, T., Berbaum, M., Bryant, D., Bucholtz, G., Collins, D., & Noe, T. (1996). Reducing alcohol and other drug use by strengthening community, family, and youth resiliency: An evaluation of the Creating Lasting Connections program. Journal of Adolescent Research, 11(1), 36-67.
Program categorized in this guide according to the following:
Evaluated participant ages: 12-14
Program age ranges in the Guide: 12-14
Program components: clinic-based, provider-based, or miscellaneous; community or media campaign; home visiting; parent or family component
Measured outcomes: social and emotional health and development; behavioral problems
Program information last updated 3/14/07
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© Child Trends 2004 |