UCLA CTSI-Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) Projects Principal Investigators: Raymond Perry (DHS), Tony Kuo (DPH), Lauren Gase (UCLA) School truancy is associated with a variety of negative behavioral and health consequences. In addition, health factors may contribute to why students miss school. This project aims to gain better understanding of the characteristics and needs of truant youth in order to identify opportunities for improving school attendance in Los Angeles County. The project focuses on three research questions: 1) What are the characteristics and needs (e.g., academic, social, health) of truant youth?; 2) How do youth who cut or skip class encounter different school- community- and law-enforcement based systems?; and 3) What programs and policies can help meet the needs of truant youth? To answer these questions, we conducted key informant interviews with representatives from schools, law-enforcement, and community based organizations; in-depth interviews with youth who have school attendance problems; and a review of evidence-based diversion programs and interventions.

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Identifying Opportunities and Examining
Evidence-Based Programs to Reduce
School Truancy
UCLA / DPH Principal Investigator: Tony Kuo, MD, MSHS
DHS Principal Investigator: Raymond Perry, MD, MSHS
UCLA / DPH Co-PI & Project Lead: Lauren Gase, MPH

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Project Background
• Juvenile Court Health Services (JCHS) provides
healthcare services to all youth in facilities operated by
the Probation Department.
• JCHS works closely with Probation and the Los Angeles
County Office of Education (LACOE) in planning for
youth's transition from camp to home
• Interest in helping ensure school attendance after release
– Project goal: address a key underlying pathway to youth
(re)entering the juvenile justice system - school truancy.

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Background: School Truancy
• School truancy is associated with a variety of negative
behavioral and health outcomes.
– Dropping out of school, crime, violence, incarceration, teen
pregnancy, substance abuse, chronic disease.
• School truancy is a significant and persistent problem in
Los Angeles County.

4. Background: Truancy Identification and
“Treatment”
Identification
School-identified
mechanisms (school-
attendance review
teams)
Police-issued truancy
citation
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“Treatment”
School attendance
review board
Community-based
diversion program
Probation diversion
program

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Research Question and Aims
• How can we reduce truancy and prevent youth from
(re)entering the juvenile justice system?
– Aim 1: To synthesize data about youth in Los Angeles County
currently receiving truancy citations in order to clarify the ways
in which these youth interact with the juvenile justice system.
– Aim 2: To identify diversion strategies to prevent youth from
(re)entering the juvenile justice system.
– Aim 3: To identify dissemination strategies and use them to
inform health services planning and improve the system of care
for youth in probation camps.

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Methods
• Process map of pathways leading from truancy
to the juvenile justice system.
– Review of programmatic data
– Key informant interviews
• Agency representative
• Truant youth
• Systematic synthesis of evidence-based
diversion programs and interventions.

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Timeline: Progress
• Obtained IRB approval.
• Conducted a provisional review of literature on
truancy reduction programs.
– In school, community, and court settings
• Developed a draft of process map to track how
truants move through current systems in Los Angeles
County.

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Timeline: Next Steps
• Finalize the process map and literature synthesis
(11/13).
• Conduct assessments of 1-2 current truancy reduction
programs (e.g., Probation diversion program) (3/13).
– Examine relevant data from current program(s).
– Conduct key-informant interviews with administrators and
youth involved in current program(s).
– Identifying recommendations for program improvement.
• Develop and disseminate products (6/13).

9. Implications & Dissemination
• Use research findings to:
– Improve truancy “prevention” in an effort to reduce the
number of youth who enter the juvenile justice system.
– Identify and address unmet services needs within probation
camps and other Department of Health Services (DHS)
programs.
– Model the potential academic and health impacts of
potential modifications to policies to reduce school truancy.
• Ex: Received funding from the Health Impact Project (Pew
Charitable Trusts/RWJF) and the California Endowment.
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10. CTSI CERP Aims
• Promote bidirectional knowledge exchanges
between community and academia.
• Drive innovation in community engagement
that accelerates the volume and impact of
partnered research.
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11. CTSI Funding
• Supported establishment of a new
collaboration between Juvenile Court Health
Services (DHS), the Division of Chronic
Disease and Injury Prevention (DPH), and
UCLA.
• Hire a graduate research assistant.
• Actively engage youth in the process.
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Thank You!
Lauren Gase, MPH
lgase@ph.lacounty.gov
213-427-4409
Raymond Perry, MD, MSHS
rperry@dhs.lacounty.gov
323-226-8723
Tony Kuo, MD, MSHS
tkuo@mednet.ucla.edu
213-351-7341