Asian Youth Alliance

Brief Program Description

The Asian Youth Alliance Program (AYA) is a multi-level, ethnic-specific prevention program developed by Asian American Recovery Services in Daly City, California. The long -term goals of decreasing high risk behaviors and substance use among Chinese and Filipino youth living in Daly City are accomplished by successfully altering intermediary knowledge, attitudinal, and skill deficits related to these. The AYA Program achieves these goals by building a consortium of Asian-focused youth-serving agencies to better meet the needs of youth while also addressing the needs of youth in specific Asian communities through curriculum-based prevention interventions. AYA was formulated on the basis of empirical studies delineating risk and protective factors unique to the Asian groups targeted as well as anecdotal information concerning the specific problems present in Daly City in relation to each of the outcome domains targeted.

An experimental design was used to determine if AYA achieved its intermediate outcomes. While the program was successful in decreasing intermediary risk (tolerance for drugs, social anxiety) and increasing intermediary protective (cultural pride) factors, further evaluations of the program are warranted to determine if changes in these variables will produce anticipated changes in related high-risk behaviors and substance abuse outcomes.

Strategies

The AYA model involves empowering communities by enhancing community resources to strengthen youth and family resiliency and by promoting "no use" attitudes among community members. AYA also provides a school and parish based Family Strengthening Intervention for Filipino families and a peer leadership program that improves the individual life skills of highrisk Chinese youth. The multi-level model targets risk and protective factors across individual, family, and community domains.

Population

The AYA program serves high-risk Filipino and Chinese youth ages 15-20 and 15-18 respectively. The Family Strengthening Intervention also serves Filipino parents and other family members. A majority of AYA youth and their families are foreign born and live in relative isolation due to cultural and language barriers as well as weakened family bonds which have been disrupted by immigration.

Settings

AYA can be implemented in urban and suburban settings. Collaboration among community based agencies that serve targeted groups is the cornerstone of program success. Natural support networks provide linkages with churches, parishes, and other community based agencies within which family strengthening and individual effectiveness components are implemented.

Required Resources

The following materials are available from Asian American Recovery Services:

• Curricula for Chinese and Filipino program components
• Assessment and consent Forms
• Evaluation instruments

Implementation Timeline

Community Empowerment

• One-time startup activities include the establishment of an AYA consortium of agencies that serve targeted ethnic groups. Memoranda of understanding are obtained from participating agencies that set forth roles of consortium members, the decision-making process, policies, and procedures to be observed by member agencies.
• Ongoing activities include renewing written agreements delineating roles and responsibilities of member agencies (once a year) and convening regular meetings of consortium member agencies (monthly).

Community Awareness Campaign

This component is implemented over the course of one year. Door-to-door neighborhood outreach efforts are used to increase Filipino and Chinese Residents' awareness of ATOD use and the existence of community resources serving high-risk youth.

Curriculum Based Interventions

The Family Strengthening Intervention is implemented over a 5-week period. This component includes the following activities:

• Ten two-hour structured workshop sessions focusing on youth acquisition of culturally congruent life skills held twice a week
• A one-time workshop entitled "Making Connections: the Filipino Family"

The Individual Effectiveness Intervention is implemented over 6-7 weeks. This component includes twelve two-hour sessions each covering an important life skill (e.g., effective communication, building self-esteem) held twice a week.

Benefits of Program

• Increased cultural pride and lower tolerance for drugs
• Decreased social anxiety

It is anticipated that changes in these areas will effect ultimate outcomes targeted by AYA, namely decreased high-risk behaviors and substance use.

Contact Information

For indepth information on this program, please use the contact listed below.

In April 2000, this program was designated as a Promising Program under SAMHSA's previous National Registry of Effective Prevention Programs system.

Resources

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A program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration