Abstract:

High rates of negative separation from the largest job training program for youth in the United States are associated with substance use. The Let the Circle Be Unbroken-Rites of Passage (LCBU-ROP) was employed as a supplement to the standard substance use prevention services (SUPS), referred to as SUPS Plus LCBU-ROP, for students screening positive for substance use at program entry. The study examined the effectiveness of SUPS Plus LCBU-ROP compared to SUPS only intervention as measured by attitudinal and behavioral indices, and graduation rates among participants. Of 148 students, aged 16 to 24, that screened positive for substance use, 116 participated in SUPS Plus LCBU-ROP, 32 engaged in SUPS program. A 54-item attitudinal and behavioral questionnaire was used for data collection. Data on participants’ program entry, substance use, follow-up, and exit were obtained from the center’s database. Paired t-test, Pearson product-moment correlation, logistic regression,...