PROJECT SUCCESS - COMPREHENSIVE INTERVENTION SERVICES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH-RISK YOUTH

Project Success is a comprehensive, middle school program for the earl y intervention of alcohol and other drug (ATOD) use by high-risk youth to reduce risk factors and increase resiliency across environmental d omains. Referred youth had high levels of ATOD use and risk, lower sel f-esteem more absences, and lower grades than normative peers. For 6 t o 12 months, each cohort of students participated in a variety of indi vidual and group interventions (e.g., counseling, tutoring, and commun ity service). interventions with parents (e.g., periodic contact, coun seling, and parent education) also were conducted. Environmental inter ventions (e.g., training school staff in risk and resiliency strategie s, development of an intervention team to access school resources, and the linkages with the community to offer positive alternatives) also were included. These environmental interventions demonstrated positive effects on participating students by maintaining lower than expected ATOD use levels with reductions in risk levels and failing grades.