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Residential Student Assistance Program

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

The Residential Student Assistance Program (RSAP) is a substance abuse intervention program developed for high-risk adolescents (14 to 17 years old) living in residential facilities. The program is based on employee assistance programs that were used by industry to identify and aid employees whose work performance and lives had been adversely affected by substance abuse. It places highly trained professionals in residential facilities to provide residents with a full range of substance abuse intervention services. RSAP counselors work with adolescents individually and in small groups to help residents decrease their risk factors for substance abuse and increase their overall resiliency. The specific program components include (1) the Prevention Education Series. RSAP counselors conduct this eight-session substance use education program; (2) Assessment. Residents are seen individually to determine their level of substance use, family substance abuse, and need for additional services; (3) Individual and group counseling. RSAP counselors conduct a series of 8 to 12 group counseling sessions. Groups are differentiated by developmental differences, substance use patterns, and family history of substance abuse. Individual sessions are scheduled as needed; and (4) Referral and consultation. RSAP counselors refer residents who require assistance to treatment, more intensive counseling, or 12-step groups.

Goal / Mission

The goal of this program is to prevent and reduce substance use and abuse among high risk, multi-problem adolescents placed in residential child care facilities.

Impact

One evaluation showed that adolescents participating in RSAP showed significant reductions in their use of alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco from pretest to posttest measures.

Results / Accomplishments

The evaluation of RSAP employed a quasi-experimental design with two nonequivalent comparison groups. Adolescents participating in RSAP showed significant reductions in their use of alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco from pretest to posttest measures. For youths not reporting use at pretest, data regarding 30-day use at posttest revealed that 82% remained nonusers of alcohol, 83% remained nonusers of marijuana, and 78% remained nonusers of tobacco. For youths who reported using substances at the pretest, their posttest reports of use in the past 30 days showed that 72% reported no longer using alcohol, 59% reported no longer using marijuana, and 27% reported no longer using tobacco.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Student Assistance Services
Primary Contact
Student Assistance Services
660 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, NY 10591
(914) 332-1300
sascorp@aol.com
http://www.sascorp.org
Topics
Health / Alcohol & Drug Use
Health / Adolescent Health
Organization(s)
Student Assistance Services
Source
SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices
Date of publication
2000
For more details
http://www.sascorp.org/RSAP.html
http://legacy.nreppadmin.net/ViewIntervention.aspx...
Target Audience
Teens

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Related Content for: Residential Student Assistance Program

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.