Twelve Maine communities with strong networks of youth programming have been chosen to participate in a $3.1 million study to measure their effectiveness in preventing substance abuse and other problems.

The 12 communities include Bangor, Ellsworth, Bucksport, Belfast and Skowhegan. They were chosen from among 65 “Communities for Children and Youth” throughout the state, so designated by the Maine Children’s Cabinet for their commitment to multiagency programming for children and teens. Youth programming in the selected communities includes early childhood services, adolescent mentoring programs, after-school enrichment and other activities.

Maine first lady Karen Baldacci, who chairs the Children’s Cabinet, announced the five-year study on Thursday. The study will be funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse and managed by the RAND Corp., a national nonprofit research institute, in partnership with the Search Institute, a Minneapolis-based youth support organization.

“We believe this study will show that while individual programs can certainly have positive outcomes for youth, the biggest gains can be found when communities as a whole take a multipronged approach to address the needs of youth – from creating safe neighborhoods to building relationships between youth and adults, to enforcement and mentoring and ensuring that everyone is working in partnership,” Baldacci said.

During the first three years of the study, two full-time staff members will work with six of the participating Maine communities to strengthen coordination among agencies, expand programming, improve outreach and refine evaluation.

The high-focus communities will be selected through a scientifically randomized process, according to Susan Savell of the Children’s Cabinet. The other six communities will continue to function normally, without the additional support and assistance.

In the second phase, research staff at the RAND Corp. will compare youth development in the two groups by measuring indicators such as substance abuse rates, high school dropout rates and other factors.

In the final phase, the “control group” of communities that did not get the additional funding and technical support in the first three years will receive the same kind of support that the first group received.

Savell said Maine was awarded the high-profile National Institute of Drug Abuse research grant because of its demonstrated commitment to youth development, including the work of the Children’s Cabinet. “The RAND Corporation and the Search Institute have been very impressed with the work we’ve been doing in Maine around community support for positive youth development,” she said.

mhaskell@bangordailynews.net

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