CASA START

Closed Referral

Our Goals:

• To develop partnerships among social and health service agencies, schools, and law enforcement to meet the needs of the youth and their families
• To prevent substance abuse and violence
• To reduce drug sales and related crime
• To improve grades and attendance
• To improve relationships between youth and their families
• To cultivate family involvement with schools and social service agencies

Our Students:

• Are less likely to use gateway drugs (cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana)
• Have improved attendance and grades
• Are more likely to be promoted to the next grade
• Have fewer violent incidents, more positive peer influences, less association with delinquent peers, and experience less peer pressure
• When 5-7 percent of the student population is involved for a year, standardized test scores rise and disciplinary problems decline for the school as a whole

What is it?

CASASTART is a school-centered positive youth development program aimed at preventing substance abuse and violence among high-risk 8 to 13-year-olds and helping them to improve their school attendance, grades, and behavior.

Our Program:

Offers children a safe place and support outside regular school hours to get the tools they need to succeed. All programs are composed of eight core services: social support, family services, education services (such as tutoring/homework assistance), out-of-school/summer activities, mentoring, morale-building incentives, community policing and juvenile justice intervention. Each child enrolled in CASASTART receives an individual service plan featuring all eight core services. Each student has a case manager who meets with them several times per week. Case managers also meet with their families at least once a month and make regular home visits to address the family context and see what additional services may be needed.

Winthrop-Based Services

CASASTART is active in both the Arthur T. Cummings Elementary School and the Winthrop Middle School.

Students can participate in a breakfast club and “lunch bunch.” After school, we offer help with homework as well as fun activities.

We also maintain contact with parents and offer special events for students’ families.

Award-winning, Evidence Based

• Designated by SAMHSA and the Office of Juvenile Justice as a Model Program
• Designated as an Exemplary Program by the U.S. Department of Education Expert Panel on Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free Schools
• Designated as a Model Program by the National Drop Out Prevention Center
• Also endorsed as effective by the Centers for Disease Control and the Blueprints Project

Contact us: