HCET Indiana Connected and Supported Teens (IN-CAST) Project - Indiana youth in foster care and juvenile justice systems are a particularly high-risk group for negative sexual health outcomes; yet, very few evidence-based programs (EBP) specifically target this extremely high-risk population, their unique needs, and their specific situational constraints. The Health Care Education and Training, Inc. (HCET) Indiana Connected and Supported Teens (IN-CAST) Project will serve 1,400 adolescents across the state of Indiana (400 youth in year 1, 500 youth in year 2, and 500 youth in year 3), ages 14-18, inordinately impacted by teen pregnancy and STDs, specifically youth in foster care and adjudicated/juvenile justice youth (including those in detention, residential, treatment, and emergency placement). The HCET IN-CAST Project is a systems level approach that incorporates multiple leverage points to address shared risk and protective factors for teen pregnancy. IN-CAST delivers an individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community level positive youth development approach to achieving optimal health, safety, and well-being for adolescents. HCET IN-CAST will reduce teen pregnancy and STD/HIV for systems-involved youth through the replication, implementation, and evaluation of the effective, evidence-based POWER Through Choices program, and other effective supplemental services and materials, including parent/caregiver education, youth-serving professionals and providers education, training, and toolkits, community service learning, and convening of a Youth Leadership Council and Community Advisory Board. HCET will serve 140 parents/guardians/foster parents with IN-CAST supplemental services and resources (30 in year 1, 50 in year 2, and 60 in year 3). HCET will serve 80 key stakeholders, decision makers, and staff in juvenile corrections and foster care including judges, supervisors, administrative leadership, case mangers, counselors/therapists, and teachers with supplemental services over the three year project period. The IN-CAST systems approach impacts youth, community organizations, parents/caregivers, and youth-serving professionals at multiple leverage points and has the potential to both change adolescents’ attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to sexual risk and other risky behaviors, as well as affect long-lasting change in the institutional environment by enabling sustainability of the intervention.
