Project success: Comprehensive intervention services for middle school high-risk youth

Project Success is a comprehensive, middle school program for the early intervention of alcohol and other drug (ATOD) use by high-risk youth to reduce risk factors and increase resiliency across environmental domains. Referred youth had high levels of ATOD use and risk, lower self-esteem more absences, and lower grades than normative peers. For 6 to 12 months, each cohort of students participated in a variety of individual and group interventions (e.g., counseling, tutoring, and community service). interventions with parents (e.g., periodic contact, counseling, and parent education) also were conducted. Environmental interventions (e.g., training school staff in risk and resiliency strategies, 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.