Reduces the disproportionate involvement of low-income minority youth with the criminal justice and child welfare systems through direct service and systems change.

The Family Services of Rhode Island (FSRI) intends to advance their current practice through a combination of system improvement and direct service prevention and intervention. FSRI proposes to advance the knowledge base of juvenile justice practices by testing the effectiveness of an evidence-based substance abuse prevention model, 'Creating Lasting Family Connections' (CLFC), and a cannabis intervention model with adaptations for family care, 'Motivational Enhancement Therapy/Cognitive Behavior Therapy. The goal is to reduce the disproportionate involvement of low-income, minority youth with the criminal justice and child's welfare systems by preventing or lessening their substance use and increasing collaboration between the two systems on behalf of families. DCYF is in the process of systems change, transforming their own separate programs into wrap-around care to reduce artificial barriers and constraints. These changes could provide a vehicle for funding prevention programs and increasing coordination with the juvenile justice system. The project measurement plan will use an experimental research design to evaluate program efficacy. There will be a comparison group for those youth and families participating in the CLFC prevention program. CA/NCF