The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Council and the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) hired OMNI to provide an evaluation that will contribute to the reduction of substance use among youth in diversion programs. Eight juvenile diversion programs applied for and received money from the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund in order to increase access to substance use screening, assessment and treatment services for youth receiving juvenile diversion programming.

These efforts may be organized into three categories (1) training staff to better serve youth using substances, (2) paying for staff to better serve youth with substance use, and (3) paying for or expanding direct services for the youth using substances.  

OMNI examined the numbers of youth screened for substance use in the eight funded programs. These numbers were compared to numbers from the year prior in order to examine whether increases in the numbers of youth being screened and receiving subsequent assessment or treatment as indicated were occurring. OMNI also examined changes from pre-to post-survey for the eight programs at the end of one year to analyze improvements in risky behavioral intentions and the post-scores of connection to community and sense of accountability. Finally, OMNI examined the overall state recidivism rate and compared it to previous statewide recidivism rates.