"Evaluation Study of McKinley County's Regional Juvenile Service Center's Alternatives to Detention Program."

The Tribal Youth Field Initiated Research and Evaluation Program funds field initiated studies to further our understanding of the experiences, strengths, and needs of tribal youth, their families, and communities, and what works to reduce their risks for delinquency and victimization. Under this initiative, OJJDP supports the conduct of evaluation studies that identify effective and promising delinquency prevention, intervention, and treatment programs for tribal youth, including those that assist tribal youth in enhancing their own cultural knowledge and awareness. The Tribal Youth Field Initiated Research and Evaluation Program is authorized by the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2010, Pub. L. 111-117.

McKinley County will conduct an evaluation of their Regional Juvenile Service Center's Alternatives to Detention Program (ATD) which addresses juvenile delinquency linked with substance abuse. McKinley County, bordering the Navajo and Zuni Indian reservations, has a predominantly (72 percent) Native American population. The County's residential social detoxification facility and case management program provide innovative crisis intervention services annually for about 480 youth aged 12 to 17. More than 90 percent of the participating youth report they are Native American. The program currently receives OJJDP Fiscal Year 2009 Earmarks Program funding. Previous evaluation studies found that the program reduces juvenile justice involvement and substance abuse for up to twelve months after intake.

This evaluation study will focus on establishing the efficacy of the McKinley ATD program model over a ten-year period, understanding the client characteristics and programmatic features that lead to positive outcomes, and documenting the program for replication in other tribal communities. Evaluation methodologies will include quantitative outcome analyses, multivariate analyses using cluster analysis and discriminant function analysis, and a qualitative analysis of the program. A collaborative multidisciplinary team of practitioners, experienced outside evaluators, and experts will carry out the project. Deliverables will include research reports, a program operations manual, and a comprehensive final report. CA/NCF