Current Tribal Research and Evaluation
Grant # 2007-TY-FX-K001
Evaluation of the Tribal Youth Program (TYP Evaluation)
Consulting Services & Research, Inc. (CSR, Inc.), Arlington, VA
CSR, Inc. is conducting a 2-year process evaluation of all Tribal Youth Program (TYP) grantees from FY2003 to FY2006. The overarching goal of the evaluation is to gather information about the Tribal Youth Program, its grantees, and the impact of its funded activities that will allow TYP staff and OJJDP to better serve American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth and families.
The project has three sub-goals:
- Identify the characteristics of tribes and tribal governments that apply for and receive TYP funds, apply for and do not receive TYP funds, and do not apply for TYP funds;
- Describe the program areas and interventions for which TYP funds are allocated and identify program areas for which gaps in funding may exist; and
- Identify factors that contribute to the sustainability of projects and/or initiatives after the conclusion of TYP funding.
The national process evaluation of TYP is expected to conclude near the end of 2008, and a final report is expected by mid-2009.
Contact Information:
Susan Jenkins
Principal Investigator
CSR, Inc.
2107 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1000
Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: 703-312-5220
sjenkins@csrincorporated.com
Grant # 2006-TY-FX-0002 (Awarded through the 2006 Field Initiated Research and Evaluation Program)
Project Venture Implementation Research Study
The National Indian Youth Leadership Development Project, Gallup, NM
The National Indian Youth Leadership Development Project is conducting a study of Project Venture (PV), a nationally recognized substance abuse and delinquency prevention program currently being replicated in more than 50 American Indian and other communities around the nation. Its developers have based the PV program model on traditional American Indian concepts regarding the family, learning from the natural world, spiritual awareness, serving others, interconnectedness, and respect for oneself and others. While the project has been replicated nationally, little is known about its implementation in areas outside of Gallup and McKinley Counties, New Mexico, where the program originated. The purpose of the study is to investigate, describe, and analyze the dynamics of the dissemination and implementation of this project in American Indian and other communities to expand knowledge of how best to translate scientific prevention findings to meet the needs of youth and communities. In doing so, the study hopes to contribute to a general understanding of implementation science and practice, as well as to the effectiveness of PV and similar models. The study is scheduled for completion in late 2008.
For more information, contact:
Susan Carter
National Indian Youth Leadership Development Project
Research and Development Office
P.O.Box 2140
Gallup, NM 87301-4711
Phone: 505-722-9176
scarter@niylp.org Grant # 2007-TY-FX-0001 (Awarded through the 2006 Field Initiated Research and Evaluation Program)
Evaluating the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Juvenile Wellness Court
American Indian and Alaska Native Programs Office, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
The University of Colorado at Denver, in collaboration with the Southern Ute Indian tribe, is carrying out a collaborative evaluation of the TuuCai Tribal Juvenile Wellness Court. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe established the Wellness Court for substance-involved tribal youth on the tribe's reservation in Ignacio, Colorado, through OJJDP's juvenile drug court program. This evaluation will describe the implementation process, assess and facilitate movement toward full implementation of the program, evaluate short-term outcomes, and provide groundwork to evaluate long-term youth outcomes. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2008.
For more information, contact:
Candace Fleming
Director of Training
American Indian and Alaska Native Programs
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
Phone: 303-724-1471
Candace.fleming@uchsc.edu
Grant # 2006-MU-FX-K001
Promising Practices in Tribal Youth Programming
American Youth Policy Forum, Washington, DC
The American Youth Policy Forum is carrying out a qualitative study to document three compelling case studies of ongoing Tribal Youth Programs. The study will produce an easy-to-read report of these projects that feature promising practices demonstrating a strong infrastructure connected to funding and the leveraging of resources (e.g. parents, volunteers, et al.). It will serve as an educational tool for other tribal programs and a promotional tool for national, state, and local level policymakers, providing the reader with examples of successful practices among selected TYPs.
For more information, contact:
Sarah Pearson
Consultant
American Youth Policy Forum
1836 Jefferson Place, NW.
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 703-298- 5771
sspearson@verizon.net
Grant # 2005-JF-FX-K022
National Report on Tribal Youth (part of OJJDP's National Juvenile Justice Data Analysis Program)
National Center for Juvenile Justice, Pittsburgh, PA
OJJDP focuses significant attention and funding on the needs of tribal youth, yet not much is known about the incidence of juvenile delinquency and victimization in Indian Country. One reason may be that juvenile justice data systems have not been adequately tapped to provide a detailed portrait of the incidence of tribal youth in the juvenile justice system and the system's response to these youth. Through OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Data Analysis Program, the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) is preparing a report to fill this information gap. NCJJ is working with researchers in the field to utilize data that capture information about the population of tribal youth and their families, the risk and protective factors they experience, offending, and victimization. The report will also provide information about the juvenile justice system's response to tribal youth. The goal is to produce a report that captures a similar level of data shared in OJJDP's National Report on Juvenile Offenders and Victims. The report is expected in mid-2008.
For more information, contact:
Melissa Sickmund
National Center for Juvenile Justice
3700 South Water Street
Suite 200
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Phone: 412-227-6950
sickmund@ncjj.org
Past Research and Evaluation
Each year, OJJDP sets aside approximately $1 million for tribal youth research and evaluation activities. Examples of TYP research and evaluation projects include the following:
- Tribal Youth Evaluation Facilitation Project (TYEFP), conducted by the Michigan Public Health Institute, in partnership with the Native American Institute at Michigan State University, provided training and technical assistance to American Indian/Alaska Native tribes that were implementing juvenile delinquency prevention initiatives under the Tribal Youth Program. The project worked with the Hannahville Indian Community in upper Michigan, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians in Washington, the Eastern Aleutian Tribes in Alaska, and the Navajo Nation in Arizona. The final reports for this study are available at http://www.crhop.net/Publications.htm.
- The Navajo Nation in Window Rock, Arizona, is conducting a comprehensive assessment of gang activity (the first such study by a tribal government) to identify approaches that other tribes can adopt to deal with gangs.
Other Resources Tribal Youth Program performance measures
OJJDP's Program of Research for Tribal Youth
Fung, C., and Wyrick, P.A. 2001. OJJDP's Program of Research for Tribal Youth. Fact Sheet. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. FS 200110.
Juvenile Justice Evaluation Center Online
The Tribal Justice Statistics Assistance Center (TJSAC) provides training and technical assistance to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes to improve the quality and use of justice statistics in those communities. TJSAC does not collect data from tribal justice systems; rather, it provides information and training to help tribes use statistics more effectively.  OJJDP Home | About OJJDP | E-News | Topics | Funding | Programs
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