CASASTART^SM (Striving Together to Achieve Rewarding Tomorrows)

CASASTART^SM 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.

CASASTART^SM goals

• Develop partnerships among social and health service agencies, schools and law enforcement to meet the needs of the youth and their families
• Prevent substance abuse and violence
• Reduce drug sales and related crime
• Improve grades and attendance
• Improve relationships between youth and their families
• Cultivate family involvement with schools and social service agencies

"Before going to CASASTART^SM I didn’t like to do my work. I was getting 70s in my classes. The CASASTART^SM program helped me with my work and now I am getting 90s in some of my classes. It makes me feel really happy that I am getting better grades. I want to keep them up." – Nathaniel, participating child, Denver, CO

CASASTART^SM works

Participating 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 engaged for a year, standardized test scores rise and disciplinary problems decline for the school as a whole.

"The CASASTART^SM program has worked better than I could have imagined. More than 90 percent of the kids who have gone through CASASTART^SM have made significant improvements…We can give the parents tools they can use to help them get back on their feet and to help them build healthy parent child relationships…Life seems to be better for them." Mark Murphy, Principal, St. Mary’s County, MD

CASASTART^SM is an award-winning Evidence Based Practice

• 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.
• Also endorsed as effective by the Centers for Disease Control and the Blueprints Project.

"I think CASASTART^SM is an awesome program. Every school in Chicago should work with CASASTART^SM to meet the needs of families in their school…The area we service is gang infested. A lot of the families in our school only had encounters with the police in negative ways. CASASTART^SM helps them to interact with police in a positive way through beat meetings and activities." – Maggie Santiago, Case Manager, Chicago, IL

The CASASTART^SM Program

The CASASTART^SM 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^SM receives an individual service plan featuring all eight core services. Each student has a case manager who meets with them several times a 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.

Three CASASTART^SM meetings play an essential role to ensure effective communication among partners and to provide program and policy guidance. Meeting participants include lead agency and program management staff, school personnel, police officers, guidance or social work personnel, business leaders, clergy, elected officials, community residents and parents/care givers of students. Meetings consist of:

• Case conferences – to discuss new students and review students’ progress
• Administrative meetings – to identify and resolve problems among partner agencies or in the larger service system that limit effectiveness
• Advisory councils – to review overall progress and address replication and sustainability.

Locations (March 2010)

CASASTART^SM is now in 121 schools in 49 cities and counties and one Native American reservation.

"Before joining the CASASTART^SM program, I didn’t pay much attention to what other people thought of me. I kept getting into trouble and I didn’t have many friends my own age. The CASASTART^SM program helped me move back home and got me released from being in a state ward." – Joe, participating child, Burwell, NE

For further information about CASASTART^SM contact: