© 2005 Behavioral Health Research Institute of the Southwest
612 Encino Place NE / Albuquerque, NM 87102 / 505.244.3099 / www.bhrcs.org

Y-STOP (Youth Screening and Treatment Opportunities Program):
Projects that Help Teens Live Healthy, Drug-Free Lives
Funded by the McCune Charitable Foundation

Y-STOP fills in some of the significant gaps in services for juveniles. Designed and developed by BHRCS, Y-STOP is a computer-based screening tool that assesses areas of high risk in juveniles. This questionnaire queries juveniles about substance abuse, violence, mental health, and other risk areas. Y-STOP then generates a comprehensive individualized summary, which presents results graphically, making it easier for teens to understand.

New Directions for Y-STOP

We began this project in the criminal justice arena — working with youths who were already in trouble. But there are non-criminal-justice organizations — schools, activity centers, and specialized programs — that also need an accurate and reliable screening instrument. Therefore, we have modified Y-STOP for use with non-criminal justice populations.

We will continue to refine Y-STOP to meet the demands of the broad spectrum of juveniles, agencies, and systems. We also are exploring a collaboration to incorporate the instrument as a module of an already existing computer-based interview called the Youth Health Provider.

We will evaluate the effectiveness of Y-STOP by 1) determining the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and validity of questions and scales; and 2) asking users, both staff and the juveniles, to evaluate it. To accomplish the latter objective, we will use both written evaluations and focus groups with the juvenile participants and with the program staff who administer the assessment instrument and provide the feedback to the participants. By using this screening tool we can gain valuable information on teen substance abuse and mental health needs, compliance with program recommendations, and recidivism.