A national group of project directors today called on communities across the nation to better help teens beat drugs, alcohol and crime using a groundbreaking approach tested at 10 pilot sites. They have issued a national report which shares a six-step model to bring about change, reveals a road map for communities to plan for innovation, and offers step-by-step instructions and examples on how to implement this new way of helping teens in trouble.Young Antisocial subtype:

The project directors oversee Reclaiming Futures initiatives funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Together, they have authored the report, How to Implement a Model to Get Youth Off Drugs and Out of Crime, based on six years of creating and testing new ways to help teens that enter the juvenile justice system and previously received little or no care for their drug or alcohol problems. The report describes how judges, probation officers, treatment specialists, families and community members can take steps right now to improve the future of these youth.

"When communities recognize this dire need and begin to work together to save these young people, real change can occur," said Laura Nissen, Ph.D., Reclaiming Futures national program director. "The authors of this report are the feet on the ground pioneering new approaches to help teens in trouble. It is our hope that the lessons they’ve learned will assist and motivate others to address this pressing need."

The Reclaiming Futures model recommends screening each teen for drug and alcohol problems, assessing the severity of his/her drug and alcohol use, providing prompt access to a treatment plan coordinated by a service team; and connecting the teen with employers, mentors, and volunteer service projects.

A recent independent evaluation by the Urban Institute and the University of Chicago's Chapin Hall Center for Children shows this model is working. The evaluation found that communities that piloted the Reclaiming Futures model reported significant improvements in juvenile justice and drug and alcohol treatment. It also indicated change in the way juvenile justice and substance abuse agencies communicate and cooperate to serve youth and families.

"We have learned that there are concrete steps that can be taken to bring communities together to change they way they help teens in the system with drug and alcohol issues," said Benjamin Chambers, project director for Reclaiming Futures Multnomah Embrace in Portland, Oregon who helped write the report. "For example, it’s important to identify a lead organization and champion, develop a common vision and mission, include community partners and youth, communicate, and measure results to help the changes last."

More recommendations from the project directors can be read at www.reclaimingfutures.org where the report is posted in its entirety.

Simply locking teens up won't solve the problem. And while communities need to hold teens accountable for their actions, they must provide drug and alcohol treatment and community support.

We know treatment works. Yet many teens in our nation's juvenile justice system — some experts estimate the figure is as high as 80 percent — receive no treatment for drug and alcohol abuse at all.

To be effective, treatment programs must work in a coordinated fashion and use evidence-based practices. They also must involve families, address cultural, age and gender issues, and coordinate with judges, probation programs, and schools.

Recent studies show effective drug and alcohol treatment requires a “network” of community support for the young person’s success in the community. Teens with substance-abuse issues who receive care through a network fare much better than those not receiving it.