Increasing Access to Substance Abuse Treatment Services for Texas Youth

Through the Byrne Congressionally Mandated Awards program, the Office of Justice Programs helps communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and supports training and technical assistance programs and other efforts that strategically target local needs. This program is authorized to organizations identified in the Conference Report to accompany the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010.

The purpose of the proposed project is to provide residential substance abuse treatment, education and after care services. Residential substance abuse treatment will be provided for adolescents in serious jeopardy of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system or violate terms of their probation due to drug abuse especially those adolescents struggling with heroin addiction. Establishing long-term residential treatment as an opportunity for recovery will give youth a chance to get needed help in a setting other than the juvenile justice system. By offering this option, Phoenix House hopes to reduce substance abuse among those treated and reduce the impact on the community and the juvenile justice system. The goals of this project are to expand substance abuse treatment, education, and aftercare support services; sustain family programming for parents, siblings and other family members to ensure that youth and family know about the dangers of drug use and that the family can recognize the signs of use; reduce drug use in youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system or who are at high risk of being involved in the juvenile justice system; engage these youth in school or job; return the youth to a stable living environment; and reduce recidivism and the impact on the juvenile justice system. This project will provide substance abuse treatment for 12 North Texas male and female adolescents. The program proposes to measure the success by using the National Outcome Measures as a guide: 70% maintain a length of stay in treatment of a minimum of 90 days; 70% participating in school or employment at post discharge follow-ups; 70% abstinent from alcohol and illicit substances 60 days prior to follow-up interview; and 80% maintain a stable, non-institutional living situation post discharge. NCA/NCF