• Clinical Intake (1 hour)

Through the clinical intake assessment, valuable information is gathered about the youth’s drug history, emotional stability, at risk behaviors, family dynamics and school functioning.

• Substance Abuse Treatment Sessions (12 hours)

Three program sessions provide legal education, critical information in respect to parent’s legal rights/responsibilities and juvenile laws, healthy communication and coping skills to help maintain a drug-free lifestyle, group therapy sessions, and educational materials on drug and alcohol use. 

Highlights include visiting an actual courtroom where incarcerated minors discuss how delinquent behavior and drug use led them to criminal activity and incarceration, a presentation from the county coroner illustrating the biological and psychological effects of drug abuse and addiction, and a panel of recovered teens that discuss making the choice to stay drug free.  To encourage accountability, an individualized restorative justice plan is also developed for each youth (including financial restitution, victim apology letters, and community service hours). 

• Exit Plan:  If needed, case management and referral services are available to link youth and families to additional substance abuse treatment and behavioral health services.

External evaluations have proven that STOP SHORT of Addiction makes a measurable difference in the lives of the youth we serve. Formal recidivism studies conducted by the Orange County Probation Department show that 82% of our youth are successfully diverted from the legal system for at least a year. In addition:

• 95% of youth participants remain drug free at least six months after program completion
• 89% of parents report increased knowledge of drugs and addiction
• 93% of youth report being more aware of the dangers of drug use
• 85% of youth report having changed their relationships with drug/alcohol using friends

In 2004, Project Youth OCBF expanded STOP SHORT of Addiction to include culturally competent Spanish-language services. These services provide up to 12 weeks of Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT), as needed, and as resources allow. BSFT is an evidence-based treatment model, developed by the Center for Family Studies at the University of Miami. BSFT provides counseling services that have been proven effective in treating early drug use, dysfunctional family relationships, conduct problems, and associations with antisocial peers, all of which are recognized risk factors for drug addiction. Outcomes include:

• Children: improved self-concept; reduced conduct and emotional problems
• Adolescents: reduced drug use, conduct problems, and antisocial peer relationships
• Families: improved family functioning

View the STOP SHORT of Addiction brochure

Recidivism

Recidivism studies of juveniles who participated in Project Youth OCBF’s diversion programs (SHORTSTOP, Programa SHORTSTOP, and STOP SHORT of Addiction – English and Spanish versions) prove that the programs work to keep youth from further involvement in the criminal justice system. The basis for these studies is to determine if the youth we serve are referred to probation for a new law violation within a year of completing our programs.

Tracking approximately 961 youth for a year, results from a 2012-2014 Recidivism Study showed that youth who pass Project Youth diversion programs are less likely to have a referral to probation in the year following their program completion than youth who fail the program. One-year referral rates for these program completers averaged 7%. By contrast, the one-year referral rates for the program failures averaged over 25%.

These results continue to underscore Project Youth’s positive outcomes with the at-risk youth who successfully complete Project Youth’s early intervention programs.