Project Legacy Impact Evaluation Study

This study will design and rigorously evaluate the efficacy of Project Legacy, a five week positive youth development intervention to decrease sexual risk for unintended pregnancies and STIs among youth experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness aged 14-19. This randomized control trial will compare Project Legacy to a usual services control.

The study uses a multi-site randomized group trial (RGT) cohort design to evaluate the Project Legacy intervention curriculum for reducing sexual risk behaviors among homeless youth age 14-19. CHLA project staff will work with 6 homeless youth serving sites in Southern California (Los Angeles, San Diego) to recruit 600 youth. Randomization to the intervention or control condition will occur at the group level and will be stratified by site. Field staff will survey all eligible homeless youth who provide consent to participate in the study at baseline (before randomization and implementation) and at 3 and 9 months post intervention (5-5.5 and 11-11.5 months post-baseline). The program group will receive an additional intervention-based survey immediately upon completion of the program. Youth in the control condition will receive the normal standard of care provided at the recruitment sites. Services available as standard of care at the recruitment sites include: medical care; mental health services; substance abuse services; educational, career, and vocational services. Intervention participants will not be excluded from receiving these services as well. Surveys will capture mental and physical health care service utilization and services to reduce substance use across both groups. The study team will monitor HIV and pregnancy prevention programming and other similar goal-planning/decision-making interventions offered to homeless youth in the study areas during the program implementation and follow-up period via interviews with site staff. The study team will include selected program exposure items on the follow up surveys to assess youth's self-reported exposure to similar goal-planning/decision-making and sexual health (pregnancy prevention and STI/HIV) education.