RCT of a promising vocational/employment program for high-risk juvenile offenders

• Published in: Journal of substance abuse treatment Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 134 - 143
• Main Authors: Schaeffer, Cindy M., Ph.D, Henggeler, Scott W., Ph.D, Ford, Julian D., Ph.D, Mann, Marc, Ph.D, Chang, Rocio, Psy.D, Chapman, Jason E., Ph.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.02.2014; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Crafts; Desintoxication. Drug withdrawal; Drug addiction; Drug use; Employment; Employment - statistics & numerical data; Female; Follow-Up Studies; High risk; Humans; Juvenile Delinquency; Juvenile offenders; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Health; Miscellaneous; Program Development; Program Evaluation; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Substance abuse; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Treatments; Vocational Education - methods; Vocational training; Young people; Vocational training; Substance abuse; Employment; Juvenile offenders; Human; High risk; Drug addiction; Program; Randomization; Addiction; Juvenile delinquency; Clinical trial; Social behavior disorder; Occupational training; Public health
• ISSN: 0740-5472; 1873-6483
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2013.06.012

Abstract Juvenile offenders with substance use problems are at high risk for deleterious long-term outcomes. This study evaluated the capacity of a promising vocational and employment training program in the building sector (i.e., Community Restitution Apprenticeship-Focused Training, CRAFT) to mitigate such outcomes through enhanced employment and education. Participants were 97 high-risk juvenile offenders (mean age = 15.8 years) randomized to CRAFT versus education as usual (EAU) intervention conditions. Multi-method procedures measured employment, education, substance use, mental health, and criminal outcomes through a 30-month post-baseline follow-up. CRAFT was significantly more effective than EAU at increasing rates of youth employment and GED attendance. Intervention effects were not observed, however, for months employed, hours worked, or hourly wage. Measures of youth substance use, mental health symptoms, and criminal activity showed no favorable or iatrogenic effects. The potential of CRAFT was modestly supported, and suggestions were made for future research.