Replicating "Science-Based" Substance Abuse Prevention Programs (SCI): The Division of Behavioral Healthcare Services of the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation, and Hospitals funds this 3-year project. Five separate prevention organizations, working in eight middle schools across Rhode Island, have been funded as demonstration projects to combine replications of two well-researched ("evidence-based") programs designed to prevent marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse among youth ages 10-14. The role of the CRST is to design, coordinate, and ultimately report on a cross-site outcome evaluation of this project.
Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Project (SDFSC): The Division of Behavioral Healthcare Services of the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation, and Hospitals funds this 3-year project. This project builds statewide capacity for scientific prevention, including rigorous evaluation, with high-risk youth populations in RI. The CRST provides technical assistance to evaluation efforts at six local sites that are conducting evidence-based substance abuse prevention programs for "underserved populations." The two categories of underserved populations receiving services are (1) immigrant youth, and (2) youth referred to Juvenile Hearing Boards.
Tobacco Control Enhancement Project (TCEP): A cooperative agreement with the RI Dept. of Health. The TCEP, in cooperation with DOH tobacco control staff, provides an array of services to enhance capacity among coummunity organizations engaged in developing comprehensive community tobacco control programs in five diverse RI communities. Services include training, tailored consultation, synthesizing and disseminating evidence-based programs and promoting linkage among tobacco control organizations. The CRST evaluates both the capacity building efforts themselves and the tobacco control activities of the comprehensive community programs.
Evaluation of Youth Empowerment Grant: The CRST assisted the RI Dept. of Health in securing a three-year, 2.5 million dollar Youth Empowerment Grant from the American Legacy Foundation. The Youth Empowerment Grant is a youth directed and youth implemented initiative utilizing the creative arts as a catalyst for tobacco control strategies. The CRST will direct the statewide evaluation of the grant.
Evaluation of State Incentive Grant (SIG): The CRST assisted the State of RI in securing a State Incentive Grant, funded by the federal center for Substance Abuse Prevention. The three year, 9 million dollar grant will: a) coordinate and redirect all prevention funding streams related to substance abuse, and b) develop a revitalized comprehensive state prevention system which increases services to currently underserved populations, increases the number of science-based programs, and establishes comprehensive community-based initiatives. The CRST directs the statewide evaluation of the grant and coordinates local evaluation efforts.
