The dissemination of a social intervention: process and effectiveness of two types of paraprofessional change agents.
This study was a beginning step in the dissemination of a successful intervention into delinquency which had previously used only university undergraduates as paraprofessional change agents. The interventions implemented and the comparative effectiveness of community college and university undergraduate paraprofessionals were examined using both process and outcome data. It was found that in general the community college paraprofessionals did fewer purposeful activities with their youth, but there were no differences in impact on areas such as youth's perceived positive change at home and school, self-reported delinquency, and amount and frequency of recidivism. In fact, both groups had positive impact on rate of recidivism which surpassed a treatment-as-usual comparison group. Implications for the dissemination of such programs were discussed.
D000293:Adolescent; D000488:Allied Health Personnel; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012008:Recurrence; D012917:Social Adjustment