CEFS 515 Research Methods and Program Evaluation

PROGRAM EVALUATION: TEEN CHALLENGE

Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies, Liberty University

COUC/CEFS 515: Research Methods and Program Evaluation

Program Evaluation: Teen Challenge

The Teen Challenge program is designed to help teens and adults holistically with drug and alcohol recovery. They connect the mind, body, and spirit and seek freedom from addiction through Jesus Christ. Teen Challenge approaches recovery with starting with a relationship to Jesus Christ. They believe that God can heal addiction and they base their curriculum off that and the bible. They offer classes, individual study, mentoring, work ethic training, and a connection to a Christian community. They believe that addiction destroys more than the body and is trying to fill a void that only God can fill. They offer support through helping students build a foundation with Jesus Christ, the bible, and discipleship. The program is typically 12-18 months and works primarily with teenagers but will work with adults and families. The group studies are 14 weeks long. It has been around for over 60 years and has over 200 locations around the United States. The program has a 78% success rate for those who complete.

Logic Template

Program evaluation plan

The goal of Teen Challenge is to help teens and adults find freedom from addiction through Jesus Christ. The measurable variable is freedom from addiction or addiction. Based on Teen Challenge’s program, this is done by a relationship with Jesus, mentoring, and connection to Christian community. Essentially, the closer to Jesus, the less addiction. They help individuals do this by offering personal studies, group studies, classes, mentorship, and discipleship. The independent variable here would be closeness to Jesus and the dependent variable would be addiction. This can be measured by an individual’s involvement in the program, how long they attend, how invested they are, and how much time on their own they put into their relationship with God and others. This can be measured throughout the program but giving the students surveys or questionnaires on how their progress is going, as well with interviews with staff. Another way to measure success can be through drug testing. Students can take drug tests throughout the program and see if the test is positive or negative. The interviews, questionnaires, and surveys can help decipher a willingness and desire for an addictive substance. Progress can be measured by how clean or sober a student is, but also their relationship with God relating to the desire to return to an addictive substance.

References

Our Program • Adult & Teen Challenge. (2020, March 31). Retrieved July 28, 2020, from https://teenchallengeusa.org/about