Early Intervention for Minors in Possession of Alcohol/Drugs: A Feasibility Study

Illicit substance use and related problems among adolescents has been consistently high over the past decade and remains one of the most pressing public health concerns in the United States. The objective of this study is to conduct a pilot investigation of the feasibility and effectiveness of two brief empirically based treatments for adolescent substance abuse when implemented as early interventions for youth arrested and charged with first- or second-offense possession of alcohol or drugs. The two examined interventions are Motivational Enhancement therapy (MET) and Parenting Wisely (PW).

Over a one-year period, 280 adolescents and their parents will be referred to the study by the Juvenile Justice Centers in two Oregon counties within the Portland metro area. Families will be randomized to one of four intervention conditions; youth will receive either MET or a drug education intervention (EDUC), and the PW intervention for parents is present or absent. Participants will be assessed for adolescent substance use, HIV-risk, recidivist substance-related offenses, treatment entry, and other areas of individual and family functioning at intake and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups.

Inclusion criteria

• 13 - 17 years of age
• Referral for a 1st or 2nd Minor in Possession (Alcohol) or Less Than an Ounce (Marijuana) offense
• Adolescents living at home with at least one parent willing to participate in the study
• Adolescents with sufficient English-language ability to permit participation in the interventions
• Parent(s) with sufficient English- or Spanish-language ability to complete the English- or Spanish-language versions of PW and the assessment

Exclusion criteria

• Evidence of psychotic or organic state of sufficient severity to interfere with understanding study procedures
• Danger to self and/or services other than outpatient treatment are required