Youth Development/Afterschool/Violence-FAST [Families and Schools Together] Program

From: Lynn McDonald at 10-11-98 06:48 pm To: Neera Tanden-White House at 1-202-456-2878 001 of 021 FAST- Families and Schools Together For OJJDP Bulletin by Lynn McDonald, ACSW, PhD. FAST Program Founder The FAST Project Wisconsin Center for Education Research University of Wisconsin-Madison 1025 W. Johnson Madison, Wisc. 53706 608-263-9476 FAX 608-263-6448 e mail: [email protected] FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS TOGETHER (FAST) PROJECT DESCRIPTION TITLE FOR JUVENILE JUSTICE BULLETIN: PARENT INVOLVEMENT HELPS PREVENT DELINQUENCY: THE FAST (FAMILIES AND SCHOOOLS TOGETHER) PROCESS BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS FOR AT-RISK YOUTH Boxed Quote: "Relationships are to child development, what location is to real estate." Dr. James Comer, Child Psychiatry, Yale University BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF THE FAST PROGRAM Families and Schools Together (FAST) builds relationships for at-risk youth in a research- based, family-therapy based, multi-family group approach to prevent juvenile delinquency. A parent-professional collaborative team systematically does outreach to families and brings together voluntary, multi-family groups to increase parent involvement with at-risk youth. Developed in 1987 by Dr. Lynn McDonald, Family Service, Madison, WI (McDonald, et al, 1990; 1991; 1993; 1997, 1998), FAST integrates pre-existing mental health research with practitioner skills to address the urgent social problem of violent and persistent juvenile delinquency in our society. The ultimate goal of FAST is to intervene early to help at-risk youth succeed in the community, at home, and in school, thus avoiding becoming an adolescent who is delinquent, violent, addicted, or dropping out of school. The FAST process which produces these successful youth outcomes utilizes the already existing strengths of families, schools and communities in creative partnership to offer the youth structured opportunities for voluntary involvement in repeated, positive, personal, active, communicative, and bonding experiences. These relationship-building interactions take place in turn with the youth's: 1)primary caretaking parent, 2)own, whole family, 3)other families, 4)peers, 5)school representatives