Project Combine
Evidence-based treatment and mentoring services have each been shown to be effective in addressing substance use and delinquency in teenage youth involved with justice systems. For the first time, Project Combine is uniting two models by partnering with courts and treatment providers to integrate Aftercare for Indiana through Mentoring (AIM) with the Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (A-CRA).
Over the course of three years, demonstration programs in Tucson, AZ; Denver, CO; Lynchburg, VA; and Vancouver, WA will
- recruit, train, and supervise mentors to work with justice-involved youth using the AIM model;
- enroll up to 100 youth and match them with mentors for at least 12 months;
- provide and supervise A-CRA substance use treatment by certified clinicians; and
- collect data on mentor experiences and youth outcomes, such as school performance, anti-social behavior, family functioning, and compliance with court-directed programming.
AIR is managing Project Combine’s evaluation and providing coordination and technical assistance for the AIM mentoring component. Findings will be used to understand how evidence-based mentoring and substance use treatment services can act together to reduce delinquency, increase abstinence, and promote youth recovery and pro-social development.
Project Combine is funded through Chestnut Health Systems by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention from 2012-2015.
