Aspire tree - the aspire tree project for transitional aged youth will target males and females between the ages of 16 - 25 in orange and seminole county

Florida. The project will provide outpatient treatment services to youth with substance use, mental health and CO-occurring disorder using the adolescent-community reinforcement approach (a-CRA). The project will serve 550 transitional aged youth, over the life of the grant; 70 in year 1 and 120 in each subsequent year. The initiative will target those at highest risk of substance abuse or dependence who are experiencing problems associated with substance use including emotional, physical, legal, social or academic issues. Project participants may be involved in the criminal justice or child welfare systems or they may be facing disciplinary action at school. Additionally, the initiative will target youth meeting the criteria for a-CRA, as identified in the transition age youth community reinforcement approach for transition age youth cannabis users, cannabis youth treatment (CYT) series, VOL. 1 (samhsa, 2001). The goals of the aspire tree project are: 1) increase the unduplicated number of transitional aged youth in orange and seminole counties receiving evidence-based outpatient treatment services; 2) increase access, engagement, and retention in treatment services among transitional aged youth in orange and seminole counties; and 3) provide a full continuum of treatment and ancillary services to promote the health, physical, social and cognitive development of transitional aged youth. The project's measurable objectives include: at least 60% of youth admitted to the program will successfully complete the treatment program; 75% of the youth in the program for at least 30 days will increase abstinence from the use of alcohol, marijuana, and other substances; 75% of youth with children, and parents/caregivers of youth enrolled in the program for at least 30 days, will demonstrate improved parenting skills and family functioning; 100% of youth successfully completing the program will be linked with stable housing at the time of discharge; 100% of youth in the program for at least 30 days, will be linked to appropriate educational and employment services; 75% of the youth in the program for at least 30 days, will decrease involvement in and exposure to crime and violence; 75% of tree participants successfully completing treatment will demonstrate improved functioning as measured by the fars and the DLA-20; 100% of youth in the program for at least 30 days, will be linked to appropriate health services.