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School Youth Outcomes of Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment

Summary: Findings on 3,850 youth, age 15 to 17 who participated in publicly funded alcohol and other drug treatment from July 1999 through June 2001 indicate that better school outcomes occurred in spite of other risk factors such as criminal involvement, family conflicts, school failure, mental health problems, poverty, and medical needs. Youth who completed treatment were 41 percent more likely to be enrolled in treatment, and – once enrolled – were 74 percent more likely to stay all year compared to non-completers. Completers' grade point averages were 35 percent for completers versus 25 percent for non-completers. Longer stays in treatment were associated with better school outcomes among youth who had dropped out of school the year before treatment. Likelihood of being in school improves after treatment completion