Youth Adelante

Integrating Substance Abuse & HIV Prevention

The Youth Adelante (Moving Forward) Program aims to test the effectiveness of integrating substance abuse and HIV prevention with Latino youth. The program is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). Youth range in age from 12-14 and include both males and females. Youth who have recent history of behavioral problems, contacts with school police or law enforcement, possession of alcohol, tobacco, and drug substances, excessive absences and, or other "risky" behavior are referred to the program. The interventions focus on culture and are youth driven with an added parent component to support the youth’s efforts. Interventions include school-based prevention curricula, booster sessions, case management, recreational, and youth leadership opportunities. The ultimate goal is that these young people then transition into the San Fernando Valley Youth Organization, our high school youth leadership group has been in existence for over 8 years.

Local Problem with Substance Abuse and HIV

The Youth Adelante program is implemented in the City of San Fernando, residing in an area of 2.4 square miles in the North East San Fernando Valley. The city has three census tracts encompassing the largest impoverished Latino community in the Valley (1990 Census). The city has a higher percentage of children between the ages of 0-19 (39.8%) as compared to the San Fernando Valley (27.3%). The percentage of people living below the poverty level in the City of San Fernando is 39.6% as compared to 22% for the county and 16.5% for the Valley. Of those families in the city living below the poverty level 95.2% are of Hispanic decent as compared to 37% and 34% for L.A. County and the San Fernando Valley respectively.

STD/AIDS Cases per Geographic Area, County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services
and Public Health, 2000

During 1998, there were 5,410-recorded cases of alcohol related hospital discharges within the San Fernando Valley. Of those patients that were hospitalized due to alcohol related injuries 85% were Latino. There were 3,216 reported cases of drug related hospital discharges, of these cases 49% were 25 to 44 years and 30% were less than 25 years old. During 1998 there were 173 Alcohol related deaths with 34 % being Latino, 40% of these victims were 25 to 44 years of age. Of drug related deaths among Latinos, one third were 25 to 44 years of age.

Using Culture as Prevention

This youth program aspires to decrease or delay substance use and HIV infection by decreasing risk factors and increasing protective factors. Based on the belief that La Cultura Cura (our culture cures) all of the interventions—among them an HIV prevention curriculum, youth leadership curriculum, booster sessions, case management, recreational, and youth leadership opportunities—have a Latino cultural component.

CH.I.C.A.S. Chicanas In Control And Succeeding

Through our work with San Fernando Valley Youth Organization and alumni Youth Adelante members we began to notice that our girls needed something a little extra than the programs offered to the group in general. They had concerns and questions about things boys were not interested in; for example, nutrition, exercise, boys, and specific questions that due to cultural taboos parents do not discuss with girls. They also wanted a forum where they could discuss these issues without the boys. We invited the girls to come together and brainstorm ideas for a program geared towards adolescent girls. Discussions included a name for the group, the design of a logo, topics of interest, special field trips and specific learning objectives. Moreover, the Partnership wanted to make sure that our girls learned long lasting lessons that would stay with them and help them make positive decisions for their future. Hence, CHICAS was born! More

Youth Adelante Program Evaluation

The study, a pre and post evaluation quasi-experimental design will measure key process variables to identify the impact of the intervention services. The Risk/Resiliency model serves as the theoretical framework by which this study is implemented and evaluated.
For more information on the Youth Adelante program please contact the Project Director, Aruna P. Patel.

*Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (www.samhsa.gov)
*Centers for Disease Control
* Los Angels County Department of Health Services (ladhs.org)