F.I.R.S.T and Reconnecting Youth
Family Intervention Resource Service Team (FIRST) serves youth in grades
five through eight referred by the court-designated workers or Community Based
Services. Case managers are provided for young adults attending sixth through ninth
grades of the Owensboro, Daviess County, and Owensboro parochial school systems who display
mental health, substance abuse, or other behavioral problems which have brought them to the
attention of court designated workers or the Cabinet for Families and Children.
F.I.R.S.T utilizes an adapted impact model which focuses on the family and not
just the youth. The project has served 500 families since inception in 1995.
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University of Louisville's Dr. Tom Lawson completes program study.
Data was obtained from the courts to identify if clients had additional
charges and also data was sought concerning the clients grade point average
in school both before and after completing the program. In summary, children who
were referred but declined services were three times more likely to have additional
charges compared to children who completed the program. The likelihood of incarceration
for additional charges is directly related to the level of compliance in the program.
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In conclusion, Dr. Lawson states, "the program is highly successful in meeting
the summary goal of preventing further court involvement. Even when some clients do have
further charges the impact of the program is still evident in that the better the performance
in the program, the longer before the child gets into trouble."
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