Evaluation of the Children at Risk Resources and Interventions – Youth Intensive Intervention Program (CARRI-YIIP)

The rates of delinquency and violence among juveniles in the United States continue to be high. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, in 2003 there were 6,573 arrests for every 100,000 persons ages 10-17. It has been shown that delinquency and youth violence are often products of not only individual characteristics, but also family and community environments. Likewise, the consequences of violence extend beyond individuals and into whole communities. Therefore, researching and evaluating violence and delinquency prevention initiatives remains a very important and necessary public health task.

One approach to preventing violence and delinquency in New Jersey is being implemented by the Children at Risk Resources and Interventions - Youth Intensive Intervention Program (CARRI-YIIP) UMDNJ-UBHC, in the Extended Treatment Department. This comprehensive initiative serves court-involved youth ages 11-17 who are characterized by histories of aggression towards people and/or animals, destruction of property, chronic truancy, violations of societal rules and norms, theft and/or deceit. Juveniles who committed sexually related or extremely violent offenses are not included. This program accepts referrals from the Middlesex County Family Court, Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT), Middlesex County Probation Department, Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) and Family Crisis Intervention Unit (FCIU). The CARRI-YIIP offers two evidence-based programs to assist youth and their families-Family Functional Therapy (FFT) and Aggression Replacement Therapy (ART).

The Violence Institute of NJ has been conducting an evaluation of the CARRI-YIIP and the FFT since Spring 2005. In September 2005, the evaluation research was approved by the UMDNJ Institutional Review Board. In addition, the Violence Institute of NJ was granted a Certificate of Confidentiality by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

The main goal of the evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of the CARRI-YIIP program and its main therapeutic approach, FFT. This research is designed to compare outcomes for youth who receive evidence-based services (FFT) versus outcomes for youth who receive traditional court services. The study will assess whether participating in the CARRI-YIIP program reduces aggressive and delinquent behavior and increases communication and social skills among its clients. Because FFT is the court-ordered component of the CARRI-YIIP, the success of this therapy will inform the courts' efforts to find cost-effective treatment. Currently, two instruments are being employed in the outcome evaluation: the Strengths and Needs Assessment and the Services Tracking Form. In addition, the Violence Institute of NJ plans to utilize the recidivism data accessible from the New Jersey Superior Court's databases upon the Court's Research Council approval.

The Violence Institute of NJ is also conducting a process evaluation. The interviews with the Youth Referral Sources (people who make referrals to CARRI-YIIP such as judges, mental health administrator, DYFS workers, probation officers, etc.) and the CARRI-YIIP staff were conducted between December 2005 and March 2006. The interviews focused on assessing program functionality, including its strengths and weaknesses. The outcomes of the process evaluation will suggest revisions in the referral process and program design. Finally, the ongoing part of the process evaluation is conducting participants’ surveys of satisfaction with the program as measured by the Youth and Parent (Guardian) Satisfaction Surveys.

The Violence Institute of NJ estimates that 30 families will be in the study per year and the subject recruitment will continue until September 2008.

For more information about the Evaluation of the CARRI-YIIP Project, please contact Dr. Katarzyna (Kashka) Celinska at 732-235-4171 or celinska@umdnj.edu.