The proposed research will examine the longitudinal effectiveness of the Communities That Care model (CTC) on youth risk and youth risk and protective factors, ATOD use, youth mental health, bullying and gambling behaviors. The CTC model engages community coalitions in a coordinated process of youth risk assessment, prevention program selection, and implementation of evidence-based practices responsive to their community's specific needs. Although the short-term efficacy of the CTC model has been established, the long-term effectiveness of CTC on youth risk behaviors over an extended period of time is largely unknown. Our research team has amassed a large extant data set containing risk and protective factor survey and ATOD use data from over 470,044 youth across the state of Pennsylvania collected from 2001 to 2009. We are able to link this statewide youth surveillance data to extant data sets regarding the nature and operation of CTC implementation in the community in which these youth live. Using propensity-weighting technique, our team will conduct analyses to achieve 2 main aims. First, we will test the long-term effectiveness of the CTC model on long- term change in youth risk and practice factors related to substance abuse. Multilevel regression models will be performed comparing CTC to non-CTC communities on ATOD use, individual, school, and peer risk factors among students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12. Second, we will investigate the potential effectiveness of CTC on previously unexplored youth outcome variables, including youth mental health (depression), youth gambling, and bullying. Findings will expand our knowledge of the long-term effectiveness of the CTC model under real-world implementation conditions and ultimately shape policy decisions regarding implementation of the CTC model.
This study will enhance understanding of the long-term effectiveness of the Communities That Care (CTC) model on youth risk and protective factors, ATOD use, youth mental health, bullying and gambling behaviors. Findings can be applied to improve prevention practice, reduce ATOD risk factors, and actual ATOD use at a population level.
