Evaluation of a three-year Youth Outreach Program for Aboriginal youth with suspected Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Hubberstey, C., Rutman, D., & Hume, S. (2014). Evaluation of a three-year Youth Outreach Program for Aboriginal youth with FASD. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, X3(1), 63-70. doi:10.7895/ijadr.v3i1.124 Aims: This article discusses the process, findings and lessons learned from the external evaluation of the Youth Outreach Program (YOP), a three-year intensive outreach and support program intended for at-risk Aboriginal youth, 13 to 18, with characteristics and/or behaviors associated with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). The overall purpose of the formative and summative evaluation was to document the development and early implementation of the program, in order to make adjustments as the program unfolded; and to assess, describe, and document early outcomes for youth participants and community partners. Design: The project employed a mixed-method design using qualitative and quantitative data. Setting: The program and evaluation took place in a small, rural community in British Columbia, Canada. Participants: Program managers, program staff, program participants, community partners, family members of participants. Measures and methods: Triangulation, program output data; program-specific data collection tools, such as qualitative interview guides; participant outcome rating scale. Results: Multiple sources of data revealed that the Youth Outreach Program led to a number of positive outcomes for youth in areas of safety, relationships, school attendance, sexual health, substance use, and knowledge and use of community resources. Conclusions: The Youth Outreach Program made an important contribution in developing and implementing a program model for promoting positive change for highly marginalized youth who display characteristics of FASD and have limited community and family support.