Helping substance-involved young people in juvenile justice be successful: Conceptual and structural foundations of the Reclaiming Futures model

Reclaiming Futures is an innovative evidence-based model and approach to systems and community change that is designed to enable young people who have substance abuse issues and are in the criminal justice system to become successful. Developed in the context of ten different demonstration communities and amidst numerous economic, geographic, political, cultural, and philosophical diversities, the initiative embraces a six-stage integrated service model that supports coordinated individual response and community-directed engagement with care. This article describes the background, rationale, and context of the change effort itself, as well as the conceptual foundations of the Reclaiming Futures framework. The role of the National Program Office (NPO) and the structures designed to support the shared transformational leadership required to launch, implement, and sustain these practice and policy innovations at the local, state, and national levels are discussed.

Research highlights
► Substance abuse among juvenile offenders continues to be a challenging problem for communities across the U.S.
► Reclaiming Futures is an innovative system reform initiative by creating a new standard of care across community programs.
► National demonstration revealed a positive impact and a decade later these efforts continue to evolve.
► Involving leaders and with shared reform plans to identify, assess and engage young people and their families is required.
► Accountability and appropriate youth treatment is enhanced by positive youth engagement in community opportunities.