Youth Firesetter Program Follow-up

Success can be measured in many ways and no program can be successful without evaluation. Follow-up is an essential part of any juvenile firesetter program. Recidivism, or repeat behavior, can largely determine the success of the intervention. However, we must not believe that because the family has not called or that we have not responded to a fire in their home, that the intervention has been successful. This can only be accomplished by contacting the family. A follow-up questionnaire provides a means of evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention from the family's perspective. It answers questions of what worked well and what did not. Information gathered during the follow-up process is vital for directing future intervention.