SPEP™ in Florida: Assessing Changes in Social Skills for Juveniles in a Residential Setting

• In Event: Connecting Research to Practice Using the Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol (SPEP™): Improving Juvenile Justice Outcomes

Abstract

Previous research has suggested that improvements in juveniles’ social skills may help to reduce recidivism for youth in residential settings. This study builds on and evaluates this premise using Florida youth in residential settings. The Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol (SPEP™) process has been in place for three years in Florida and includes specified primary services in all residential programs. The current study examines the relationship between social skills interventions, social skills risks/needs scores, and includes all evaluation categories of the SPEP™ (quality, dosage, and youth characteristics). We close with a discussion of implications for theory, policy, practice, and research.

Authors

• Laura Moneyham, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice

• Meg Bates, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice

• Katherine C. Gomez, University of Central Florida / Florida Department of Juvenile Justice

• Mark A. Greenwald, Florida State University