Supporting Student Health and Resiience - Household incarceration (parent, sibling, extended relative) is an adverse childhood experience (ACE) that
is strongly correlated with other family stressors and impacts over 2.5 million US children; predominantly youth
of color and youth living in low income communities. Youth whose families interact with the criminal justice
system can experience upward of 3 ACE and are more likely to use substances, have behavioral problems,
and interact with the justice system themselves, differences that remain even in comparison to children who
experience other disruptive events and conditions that increase vulnerability for risky behavior. The 2- to 7-fold
increase in risk for substance use, substance use related risky behaviors, and school withdrawal among youth
exposed to even one ACE, and the dose-response relationship between accumulated ACE and health
threatening behaviors and compromised mental health, underscores the critical need to identify effective
prevention strategies. “Supporting Student Health and Resilience (SHARE)” is a four-year quasi-experimental
process and outcome evaluation of a prevention program tailored to meet the needs of adolescents whose
families are involved in the criminal justice system. Pain of the Prison System (POPS) is a school-based
program that embeds foundational socio-emotional competencies in creative, artistic self-expression and
community engagement activities and fosters meaningful connections to peers and caring adults (key
ingredients of resilience). The proposed project uses a longitudinal design to determine whether a)
participation in the POPS program encourages growth in key developmental assets and socio-emotional
competencies that promote healthy development; b) compares relative change over six time points in
hypothesized protective factors (e.g., social connectedness, socioemotional competencies) across POPS,
matched comparison, and general population students; and c) assesses whether participating in the POPS
program curtails substance use, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and promotes positive school outcomes
(GPA, standardized test scores, disciplinary events). In year 1, the proposed project will collect baseline data
and conduct a process evaluation of POPS program delivered in 3 high schools in AK, 8 in CA, and 8 in GA. In
years 2-3 the study will assess change in risk behavior, mental health, and school outcome trajectories of
POPS participants, matched comparison group, and general population students. The study will also explore
the role of sociocultural factors (e.g., perceived discrimination and ethnic identity) in developmental trajectories
and program outcomes and assess potential program moderators (e.g., gender, ethnicity, SES). Promoting
healthy behaviors and school achievement among youth impacted by household incarceration and associated
ACE is a public health priority. This multipronged evaluation research study will: yield information about a)
programmatic strengths and deficits; b) risk and resilience processes; and support the development of c)
evidence-based prevention programming for vulnerable youth and d) a randomized effectiveness trial.
