NCJ Number
143987
Journal
Journal for Juvenile Justice and Detention Services Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1993) Pages: 32-50
Date Published
1993
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This article describes the components, implementation, and evaluation for a social skills training program established at the Calhoun County Juvenile Home (detention center) in rural south central Michigan.
Abstract
The Holistic Environmental Life-skills Project (HELP) was conceived in response to the primary problems that affect the future of troubled youth in the county. The program is designed to meet the multidimensional needs of at-risk youth and their families. The four major project components are social skills training, creative arts, computer-assisted instruction, and parenting skills training. The social skills training uses the curriculum of QUEST Skills for Adolescence (SFA). It emphasizes life skills such as effective listening, decisionmaking, and positive personal relationships. This article's discussion of SFA focuses on organizational structure, staff training, and the recommended curriculum for detention. The evaluation, which focused on student responses and independent program observation, determined that the SFA program is suitable for transient detention populations, and it does have a beneficial impact without interfering with the management of the detention center. 1 table, 2 figures, and 4 references