This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cebc4cw.org/
This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cebc4cw.org/
Note: RSAP declined to participate in the CEBC review process. The following information was obtained from publicly available sources (website, articles, etc.).
Scientific Rating:
3
Promising Research Evidence
See scale of 1-5
Relevance to Child Welfare Rating:
2
Medium
See scale of 1-3
Child Welfare Outcomes: Child and Family Well-Being
Brief Description:
Residential Student Assistance Program (RSAP) has been rated by the CEBC in the area of Substance Abuse Treatment (Adolescent). The Residential Student Assistance Program (RSAP) is designed to prevent and reduce alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among high-risk multi-problem youth ages 12 to 18 years who have been placed voluntarily or involuntarily in a residential child care facility (e.g., foster care facility, treatment center for adolescents with mental health problems, juvenile correctional facility). Based on the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) model, the intervention focuses on wellness and addresses factors that hinder adolescents from being free from AOD use, such as emotional problems and mental disabilities, parental abuse and neglect, and parental substance abuse. The program is delivered in residential facilities by Master's-level counselors who use a combination of strategies, including assessment of each youth entering the facility, an eight-session prevention education series, group and/or individual counseling for youth who have chemically dependent parents and/or are using substances, and referral to substance abuse treatment programs. These services are delivered over 20-24 weeks and are fully integrated into the adolescent's overall experience at the residential facility. The counselors also conduct facility-wide awareness activities, provide training and consultation on AOD prevention to facility staff, and lead a task force for staff and one for residents, both of which aim to change the facility's culture and norms around substance use and facilitate referrals to the program.
Manual and Training section:
The publicly available information indicates that there is a manual and training available for RSAP. Please contact Student Assistance Services, Phone: 914-332-1300, Email: sascorp@aol.com for more details.
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research:
Residential Student Assistance Program (RSAP) is rated a "3 - Promising Research Evidence" on the Scientific Rating Scale based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The practice must have at least one study utilizing some form of control (e.g., untreated group, placebo group, matched wait list) establishing the practice's benefit over the placebo, or found it to be comparable to or better than an appropriate comparison practice. For more information on the rating of a "3 - Promising Research Evidence," please see the Scientific Rating Scale.
Morehouse, E., & Tobler, N. S. (2000). Preventing and reducing substance use among Institutionalized adolescents. Adolescence, 35(137), 1-28.
Type of Study: Quasi-experimental, pretest/posttest nonequivalent/nonrandomized comparison group study
Number of participants: 387
Population:
Location/Institution: Residential facilities in New York State, including facilities for children in foster care, juvenile offenders, and youth with severe psychiatric problems.
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations) The Residential Student Assistance Program, serving high-risk, multi-problem, inner-city, primarily African-American and Latino youth, was evaluated for its ability to prevent and decrease alcohol and other drug use. Measures included the Community-Oriented Programs Environment Scale (COPES) and a revised version of the Monitoring the Future questionnaire. This evaluation documented the program's effectiveness in both preventing and reducing substance use among participants, with impact related to program dosage. Qualitative process data clarified and strengthened confidence in the quantitative outcomes. Limitations include the lack of a randomized design and a relatively high attrition rate.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: Not specified
References:
Student Assistance Services Corp. (n.d.). Residential Student Assistance Program: Implementation manual. Tarrytown, NY: Author.
Student Assistance Services Corp. (n.d.). Residential Student Assistance Program: Preventing and reducing substance abuse in residential facilities [VHS]. Ardsley, NY: Author.
Student Assistance Services Corp. (n.d.). Residential Student Assistance Program: Resource manual. Tarrytown, NY: Author.
Contact Information
Name: Ellen Morehouse
Affiliation/Agency: Student Assistance Services Corp.
E-mail: sascorp@aol.com
Phone: 914-332-1300
Fax: 914-366-8826
Website: www.sascorp.org/residesap.htm
Date review compiled: April 2010