Project Youth Connect

Helping Youth in High Risk Environments 

By Sibyl K. Bowie and Brigette Settles Scott, M.A.


Closing the Gap, Substance Abuse Prevention:What’s Working to Keep Our Youth Drug Free?


June/July 2001 

Experts agree, when it comes to decreasing the risk of substance abuse among adolescents, the more eyes watching 

our children, the less likely they’ll fall prey to 

substance abuse. Family members and peers 

can act as primary influences, but non-traditional folk—teachers, ministers, neighbors, 

and babysitters to coaches and school counselors—are also key, and can help deliver consistent messages about the dangers of drugs. 

Innovation, Creativity, Variety – Project 

Youth Connect 

Research indicates that risk-taking behaviors in youth may be reduced when teens 

develop personal relationships with positive 

adult role models. Project Youth Connect 

(PYC) offers youth ages 9 to 15 a variety of 

non-traditional drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs. Funded by the Center 

for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), a 

part of HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 

PYC focuses on youth at-risk for substance 

abuse. Fifteen grantees, or study sites, representing a range of non-profit, for-profit, and 

university settings, were awarded funding in 

October 1998 to implement PYC. About 

half of these study sites serve Hispanic, African American, and Asian/Pacific Islander 

youth. Four sitesspecifically target Asian/Pacific Islander communities, and two sites assist Native Americans. PYC has enrolled a 

total of 2,155 students at the project sites 

located in 14 states. 

The primary purpose is to generate reporting multiple race (11.2 percent). among American Indian/Alaska Natives 

knowledge about the effectiveness of pro­ Asian Americans had the lowest rate at (3.7 percent), and lowest among African 

viding mentoring/advocacy services to high- 3.2 percent. Americans (0.2 percent). The overall rate 

risk youth and their families in the preven­ for this age group was 1.1 percent. 

tion, reduction, or delay of drug and alcohol  Among youth ages 12-17, 10.9 percent 

reported past month use of illicit drugs in 

1999. Marijuana is the major illicit drug 

used by this group; 7.7 percent of youths 

were current users of marijuana in 1999. 

 American Indian/Alaska Natives had the 

highest rate of illicit drug use among 

youth age 12-17 (19.6 percent). The 

youth rate of use was 8.4 percent for Asian 

use in youth. The program also aims to im­  Although consumption of alcoholic beverages is illegal for those under 21 years of 

age, 10.4 million current drinkers were 

age 12-20 in 1999. Of this group, 6.8 

million engaged in binge drinking, including 2.1 million who would 

fied as heavy drinkers.

also be classiprove family bonding and functioning, school 

bonding and functioning, and life management skills. 

Acting as a liaison and advocate, PYC 

much needed social services. PYC mentors when antisocial behavior becomes reinforced 

have also been trained to develop Individual in adolescents. “SEI’s motto is ‘life has opService Plans to help connect youth and their tions’,” explains David Allen, SEI’s project 

families with outside resources, thus empow­ director. “PYC provided an opportunity for 

ering program participants and their families us to expand some of the services we already 

to build upon their strengths and capabili­ had in place.” 

ties. SEI developed a comprehensive prevenIn Portland, Oregon, PYC at Self-En­ tion/education program, involving a variety 

hancement, Inc. (SEI), provides mentoring 

for students at two city middle schools, a time continued on page 2>>>> 

Adolescent Substance Abuse Statistics 

The 1999 National Household Survey on youths, 10.7 percent for African AmeriDrug Abuse provides national estimates of can youths, 10.9 percent for White 

rates of use, number of users, and other mea­ youths, 11.4 percent for Hispanic youths, 

sures related to use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and 11.6 percent for youths reporting 

cigarettes, and other forms of tobacco by multiple race. 

the population, ages 12 years and older. 

This survey is conducted through question­  Although overall illicit drug use rates were 

naires and interviews. similar for White , African American, and 

Hispanic youths age 12-17 years, there 

 An estimated 14.8 million Americans were were gender differences within these macurrent users of illicit drugs in 1999, mean­ jor race/ethnic groups. Among White 

ing they used an illicit drug at least once boys and girls were about equally likely to 

during the 30 days prior to the interview. be current illicit drug users (10.8 percent 

This estimate represents 6.7 percent of for males, 11.1 percent for females). Howthe population 12 years and older. ever, among African Americans and Hispanics, rates were higher among boys than 

 The rates of current illicit drug use for among girls (12.6 percent compared with 

major racial/ethnic groups were 6.6 per­ 8.7 percent for African Americans; 12.3 

cent for whites, 6.8 percent for Hispan­ percent compared with 10.5 percent for 

ics, and 7.7 percent for African Ameri­ Hispanics). 

cans. The rate was highest among the 

American Indian/Alaska Native popula­  Among youths age 12-17 years, the rate 

tions (10.6 percent) and among persons of current hallucinogen use was highest 

overcome the language, cultural, 

and economic barriers that can 

make it difficult to receive the 

mentors help the youth and their families to 

Office of Minority Health Resource Center 1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
Helping Youth in High Risk Environments 

By Sibyl K. Bowie and Brigette Settles Scott, M.A.


Closing the Gap, Substance Abuse Prevention:What’s Working to Keep Our Youth Drug Free?


June/July 2001


of activities. Currently, there are approximately 239 students enrolled in PYC at SEI. Ashley Goodlow, a 14 year old, eighth grade 

African American girl, has been involved with the program for approximately a year and a half. “It’s a good program,” said Goodlow. 

“It’s kind of like school, but more fun.” Daily activities include cooking lessons, arts & crafts and ‘Beauty Wise’—an activity where girls 

learn proper grooming and hygiene. Woven into each of these activities are abstinence and substance abuse prevention messages. 

Lessons Learned 

SEI found that greater program commitment and success results 

when mentors are paid. “We had a lot more success with the paid 

mentors than we did with the voluntary mentors,” explains Allen. 

“It’s hard to get a commitment from the volunteer mentors. Since it’s 

a job for the paid mentors, it’s a lot easier to maintain relationships, 

build relationships, and stay consistent in the child’s life. Consistency, 

we have found, is very important, because lots of the kids we have 

here have had a lot of broken promises made to them.” 

“The kids had a hard time with inconsistency. So I think the paid 

mentor has brought that [consistency], and another caring adult into 

their lives. Allen continued. “After a relationship is built, kids share all 

kinds of things with their mentors that the schools and families don’t 

know,” said Allen. And, one important element that was confirmed 

through PYC is that “young people really do need someone to talk to. 

They don’t think it’s cool to talk to their parents, yet they need encouragement and more direction,” Allen concludes. 

“I really like spending time with my mentor,” said Goodlow. 

“She helps me out a lot. She’s nice, and I can talk to her about 

anything—she understands. She gives me advice, and helps me solve 

my problems,” she added. 

Most PYC mentors work with an average of 11 adolescents during a 23-month period, spending approximately two hours per week 

in one-on-one time with the youth. Together, they engage in dance 

lessons, sports, fishing, crafts, dining out, and shopping. Life skills, 

including self-esteem building, social and communication skills development, goal-setting, and academic support, such as tutoring and 

college tours are also routine activities. Services for families usually 

include biweekly, group parenting classes. 

“Our life skills classes help me understand the things that I 

shouldn’t do that can hurt me,” explained Goodlow. “They show us 

movies on how people do drugs, what affects drugs and alcohol can 

have, and that you can die from using them,” she added. 

Evaluating Success 

The research component of PYC has helped SEI and other organizations assess how middle school youth feel about school, friends, 

life, and substance use. 

A Portland-based research and evaluation firm surveys the enrollees every eight months and will evaluate how effective mentoring 

services are in positively impacting these student’s lives. 

“I’m sure the evaluation will conclude that our program has been 

very successful, because it has given young people opportunities to 

connect with adults whom they’ve learned to trust. Many of our kids 

are from single parent households or living with grandparents, and 

yearn for someone to talk and listen to them. Our mentors were able to 

establish intimate relationships with these kids—oftentimes the first 

positive adult-teen relationship. They also worked with the parents to 

encourage involvement in school and social activities. I guess, if you 

can claim that you’ve helped one or two kids steer clear of drugs, then 

you can claim success—and this is a claim that we are able to make,” 

said Allen. 

For more information on Project Youth Connect and other CSAP 

funded programs, visit http://www.samsha.gov.

Office of Minority Health Resource Center 2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services