NCJ Number
82649
Journal
Personnel and Guidance Journal Volume: 59 Dated: (March 1981) Pages: 445-449
Date Published
1981
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Long-term effects are examined for participants in Project CREST (Clinical Regional Support Teams), a counseling program for juvenile probationers.
Abstract
CREST recruited praticum and intern students in counselor education and related fields to work with adjudicated delinguents referred by State probation workers. CREST provided counseling in addition to the guidance provided by probation workers. Whereas, probation workers would focus on adjusting probationers to acceptable behavior standards, CREST counselors would help clients explore their thoughts, feeling, values, talents, and aspirations. In addition to offering services for individuals, help was also provided for families and community enterprises responsible for the client's welfare. Sixty-one subjects (30 participants and 31 controls) in a previously reported experimental evaluation of CREST were monitored during a 2-year period after treatment. Those who had received the CREST counseling service in addition to probation were charged with significantly fewer offenses at a lower monthly rate than the control youths, who had received probation but no counseling. The upturn in offense rate among the controls was attributed to the removal of probationary control. The study's results, in conjunction with previous evaluation findings, indicate that short-term professional counseling, coupled with probation, can have more immediate and longer lasting effects than probation alone. Tabular data and eight references are provided.