Coping and Support Training (CAST)
Beth E McNamara
Director of Programs and Training
425-861-1177
beth@reconnectingyouth.com
Program Specifications
Emphasis:
Prevention, Intervention
Age/Grade Level:
Middle School, High School
Gender:
Male/Female
Ethnicity:
Unspecified
Target Settings:
Rural, Urban, Suburban, Inner City, Tribal
Target Groups:
Individuals, Clusters/Groups
Other Participation Criteria:
Unspecified
Description
Coping and Support Training (CAST) is a school-based prevention program that targets young people in either middle school or high school. CAST is a 12-session, small group skills training intervention designed to enhance personal competencies and social support resources. CAST may be implemented as a "selective" or an "indicated" prevention program, targeting groups or individuals at higher risk for school dropout (and/or suicide). The CAST program goals are to decrease suicide risk and emotional distress, drug involvement, and school problems. When implemented with fidelity, the program is likely to be effective for 1) increasing school satisfaction and attendance, and decreasing potential for dropout; as well as 2) decreases in multiple, co-occurring problems common among high-risk youth, including depression and suicide-risk behaviors, drug involvement, and anger control problems; while 3) enhancing protective factors, such as personal control, problem-solving coping, and family support.
Program Descriptors Include:
Academic Improvement, Attendance/Truancy, Behavior Management/Discipline, Bullying/Violence, Community Collaboration, Counseling/Advisors/Coaches, Credit Recovery, Extended-School/Summer Program, Extra Curricular, Family/Parental Involvement, GED, Homeless, Mentoring/Tutoring, Study Skills, Substance Abuse, Alternative Education, Life Skills Training
Program Rating:
Strong Evidence
Starting Year:
1995
Students Served Per Year:
500+
Last Verified:
December 2nd, 2010
Strategies for Locating Students:
Unspecified
Reenrolled Students with Disabilities:
Unspecified
Risk Factors
Program addresses the following:
Individual Factors
- High number of work hours
- High-risk peer group
- High-risk social behavior
- Highly socially active outside of school
- Low achievement
- Retention/overage for grade
- Poor attendance
- Low educational expectations
- Lack of effort
- Low commitment to school
- No extracurricular participation
- Misbehavior
- Early aggression
Family Factors
- Low educational expectations
- Low contact with school
- Lack of conversations about school
School Factors
- Limited resources: expenditures per student/ teacher salaries/ student-teacher ratios
- Race/ethnicity
- School policies and practices
- Student engagement
- Teacher expectations
Community Factors
- Youth social attitudes
Protective Factors
Program promotes the following:
Relationships
- Presence and involvement of caring, supportive adults
- Opportunities and rewards for pro-social involvement
- Clear social norms
- Good relationships with parents, peers, and teachers
- Involvement with positive peer activities
- Perception of support from adults and peers
Independence
- Healthy/conventional beliefs and standards
- Positive/resilient temperament
Competence
- Social competencies
- Self efficacy
Creativity
- Problem-solving skills
- Flexibility
Optimism
- High expectations by community, family, school, and self
- Optimistic
Program Resources
Annual Cost:
The annual cost range of the program is less than $25,000 or less than $500 per student.
Funding Sources Include:
Federal, State, Local/City/County, District, Foundations, Faith Based, Organizations/Agencies
Program Staff Includes:
Teachers, Counselors, Social Workers, Parents, School Administrators
Materials Used:
Instructional Texts/Manuals
Supporting/Partner Organizations:
Evaluation Information
Description of Program Impact:
Research findings illustrate the efficacy of CAST. When implemented with fidelity (i.e., delivered as designed), the program is likely to be effective for multiple, co-occurring problems common among high-risk youth. When compared to a school-as-usual comparison group, CAST students showed significantly: greater decreases in missed classes, school dissatisfaction and likelihood of dropping out; greater sustained declines in depression; lower levels of suicide-risk behaviors; declines in anger control problems; reduced hard drug use and alcohol use; fewer drug use control problems; and greater increases in enhancing protective factors: personal control, problem-solving coping, and family support. To implement the CAST program with fidelity and replicate these results, developer-sponsored training is highly recommended.
How Evaluation Data Was Collected:
Data collected and analyzed at school/district level
Data collected and analyzed at state or organizational level
Outside experimental studies
Additional Evaluation Information:
Relevant URL: http://www.reconnectingyouth.com/cast/what_main.html
