NCJ Number
173182
Date Published
Unknown
Length
24 pages
Annotation
A formative evaluation was conducted on a California police demonstration project designed to identify youths who live in homes where abuse, neglect, or criminal activity has occurred and refer them into existing school-based and community-based treatment programs.
Abstract
Evaluation activities focused on the chain of events included in the referral process. A random sample of 43 youths was selected for case analysis by using qualitative interviews of key informants in the referral process and a review of police documents that pertain to each youth. Findings show that police are effective in identifying youths in the target population and that clients who received treatment were generally satisfied; however, modification to the original design of the referral process and the lack of working relationships with treatment providers for very young (under age 5) and non-English speaking clients, limited treatment options and the provision of treatment. Obtaining parental consent was a critical factor in providing treatment. Additional concerns that emerged during the evaluation process included the accurate transfer of information, varying school-based resources across educational levels, the absence of school-based resources during the summer, and obstacles to collaboration with existing social services. A 1- year follow-up discusses how program operations have been modified in response to recommendations made in this evaluation. 3 tables and 11 references