Leadership and Resiliency Program (LRP)

Brief Program Description

The Leadership and Resiliency Program (LRP) is a school- and community-based program for high school students (ages 14 to 19) that enhances youths’ internal strengths and resiliency while preventing involvement in substance use and violence. The program includes weekly resiliency groups that are held during the school day as well as monthly alternative and service learning activities offered after school, on weekends, and during the summer. These include participating in adventure/outdoor activities, working with abused and neglected animals, and performing puppet skits for young children. The activities focus on community service, altruism, learning about managed risk, social skills improvement, and conflict resolution. The program operates year-round with only alternative programming when school is not in session. Participants may stay involved with the program throughout their high school years.

Program Components

This program has four components:

• Adolescent group meetings for referred youth that utilize clinical resiliency programming
• Community service with abused and neglected animals
• Performance of puppet skits for young children, an activity that is heavily dependent upon cognitive dissonance
• Outdoor adventure programming that is progressively more intensive

Every component has been developed within a research framework to intensively support specific resiliency factors and to promote optimum adolescent development. For each component, there is a curriculum that provides a program description, specific descriptions of several group activities, sample forms and releases, required supplies, and replication tips.

Population Focus

Program participants have been from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. It is imperative to focus on cultural competence and activities that honor participants’ diverse backgrounds. This program focuses on high school youth 14 to 19 years of age. If youth receive specialized student services allowing them to remain in school until age 21, they continue to be eligible.

Suitable Settings

This model is developed for use in multiple settings. Suburban and urban localities should plan on travel for activities taking place in rural environments, such as outdoor adventure activities.

Outcomes

Evaluation of this program revealed the following:

• Reduction in negative attitudes and behaviors: Participants realized a 65-70% reduction in school behavioral incidents, including a 75% reduction in school suspensions and a 47% reduction in juvenile arrests.
• Improvements in positive attitudes and behaviors: Participants realized an increase of 0.8 in grade point average (GPA) based on a 4.0 scale, an increase of 60-70% in school attendance, 100% high school graduation rates, and an increased sense of school bonding. A high percentage of participants either became employed or pursued postsecondary education.

Contact Information

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

Program Developer

In May 2000, this program was designated as a Model 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