Full Evaluation Report

YouthZone Outcome Evaluation Summary

YouthZone client data is analyzed by an independent evaluator every three years. Below is a small sample of the wealth of information the evaluation report of April 2011 provides. “Most striking in these findings are the accessibility of YouthZone services across Garfield, Pitkin and West Eagle Counties, the inclusion of youth from all ethnicities and family backgrounds, and the wide significance of presenting problems case managers must be prepared to screen and plan services for.”

• YouthZone clients showed very significant improvement on all four of the dynamic scales measured by the YouthZone Screening i.e. alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use; optimism and problem solving;
school and community involvement; delinquency and aggression.

• Though no improvement was seen in Self-Deprecation when all clients were combined into one group, statistical analysis did show that girls tended to improve, while boys’ concerns tended to rise,
creating a significant gender relationship with change.

• In this sample of 916 youth measured over three years time, 10.7% failed to complete their service program before re-offending. This demonstrates a success rate of 89.3%.

• Case managers are equally effective with supporting youth toward a more adaptive future.

• YouthZone services adapt for age, gender and racial needs.

• About one-in-ten responded to the YouthZone Screening by saying that at some time in the past year, they had thoughts of suicide and had considered a plan for carrying out these thoughts.

• About one-in-five answered questions suggesting they may have been a victim of abuse, currently or at some time in the past.

• Girls were as likely to have a serious legal offense at intake as boys.

• Across age groups, 9.9% of YouthZone clients report using marijuana once a month or more often. This is at a rate 21.5% higher than for youth in Colorado and 48.4% higher than for US youth.

• Girls and boys used marijuana at the same rates.

• Reported marijuana use declined statistically significantly overall for YouthZone clients from their intake to discharge.

• Year-over-year, nonuse has been declining and frequent or continuing use has been rising steadily and statistically significantly. The total number o youth using marijuana almost daily increased by
nearly 50% during the past year of YouthZone services.

• Marijuana use by current clients who were former clients did not increase.

• 49.3% of the youth were living with both of their birth parents and an additional 22.3% were living with one parent and a stepparent or in joint custody with their divorced mother and father.

• Delinquency and Aggression tended to decline with age and Self-Deprecation rose with age.

• Girls were more likely to report less favorable scores on Optimism.

• Girls were more likely to be motivated to do their best in school and become involved in their communities.

• Girls were more likely to have had abusive experiences that left them with self-deprecatory feelings than were boys.

• At highest risk for reoffending were boys who were using substances above the average for YouthZone clients, who were not motivated in school, were uninvolved in the community,
and who were living with a single parent.