A Non-coercive Prevention Cascade Using a Cash-Plus Model for Legally Involved Youth: a Multi-method Study of Feasibility, Acceptability, and Engagement Outcomes

Youth involved in the criminal legal system (YILS) are more likely to experience significant disruptions in social determinants of health. This contributes to, and is reciprocally affected by, ongoing contact with the legal system. Using multiple methods, the current study examined the feasibility and impact of a prevention cascade model designed to universally identify and address early signals of social determinants of health needs including housing and family cohesion using a cash-plus, navigator model. The analysis included 147 youth referred to the Housing Stability for Youth in Courts (HSYNC) program from four juvenile courts in one northwestern state from 2019 through 2022. Analyses revealed youth and families receiving cash-plus were five times more likely to engage in recommended services. Engagement in services across all types of need severity (prevention and crisis) exceeded published benchmarks for other prevention and intervention engagement models. These findings suggest non-coercive services using cash-plus is a highly promising model for connecting YILS and their families to services designed to strengthen social determinants of health.