Female Juvenile Offenders with HEART: Preliminary Findings of an Intervention Model for Female Juvenile Offenders with Substance Use Problems

• NCJ Number: 232641
• Journal: Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 40 Issue: 3 Dated: Spring 2010 Pages: 611-626
• Author(s): Amelia C. Roberts-Lewis; Chiquitia L. Welch-Brewer; Mary S. Jackson; O. Martin Pharr; Sharon Parker
• Date Published: 2010
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article describes a gender specific, multi-component substance abuse treatment pilot program, Holistic Enrichment for At-Risk Teens (HEART), and examines its effectiveness in improving the psychosocial functioning of incarcerated girls.

Abstract

This pilot study examined the effectiveness of an intensive, gender specific substance abuse treatment program, Holistic Enrichment for At-Risk Teens (HEART), on the psychosocial functioning of 30 incarcerated girls. A single-group multiple repeated measures design method was used to determine the effectiveness of the HEART program in reducing psychosocial problems associated with the behaviors of problem substance use and delinquency. The results showed that participants in the HEART program displayed significant improvement in eight of ten areas of psychosocial functioning: mental health, family relation, peer relations, educational status, vocational, leisure and recreational skills, and decreases in aggressive behaviors. The conclusion is that it is critical for juvenile correctional facilities to become sites where effective, empirically based treatment is provided. Tables and references (Published Abstract)