NCADD-SFV Vesper Ave Van Nuys Ca Phone: (818) Fax: (818) ;

Transcription

1 6166 Vesper Ave Van Nuys Ca Phone: (818) Fax: (818) ; NCADD-SFV NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG DEPENDENCE OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, INC.

2 Community Assessment: The Problem For more than 41 years, the National Council of Alcohol and Drug Dependence (NCADD) has been the nationwide leader in providing effective and compassionate treatment to youth and adults struggling with alcohol and drug abuse. In January 2012, NCADD-San Fernando Valley, in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC), conducted an intensive, six-month community assessment. The focus of the assessment was alcohol and drug use among youth ages in the cities of Santa Clarita and Van Nuys. The purpose of the assessments was to develop an understanding of the climate and cause of youth substance abuse in the respective communities, then use this data to structure effective community specific prevention initiatives. Santa Clarita Youth 27% reported drinking in last 30 days 23% report getting alcohol from school 22% reported smoking marijuana in last 30 days 45% reported getting marijuana from school Van Nuys Youth 28% reported drinking in last 30 days 36% report getting alcohol from school 22% reported smoking marijuana in last 30 days 34% reported getting marijuana from school Youth Nationwide 40% reported drinking in last 30 days 89% report easy access to alcohol 86% reported easy access to marijuana 1

3 Evidence Based Programing: The Solution To address the community issues reflected by the research, NCADD-SFV has been funded through the Los Angeles County Substance Abuse Prevention and Control department to provide local schools with prevention services. NCADD utilizes nationally recognized evidenced based programs which are designed for and proven to be successful in school settings. Each program component is tailored to meet the specific needs discovered in each community in the most effective means possible. Our programs are also recognized by the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices as proven strategies in combating youth substance abuse. Research outcomes for the services we offer include: Prevention Stopping youth before they start 3.6 times less likely to plan to use alcohol in the next 6 months 4.8 times less likely to have drunk alcohol in the past 30 days 3.3 times less likely to be in an advanced stage of alcohol use 3 times less likely to drink alcohol during any length of time 2.3 times less likely to have drunk heavily during the past 30 days Intervention Stopping those who have the started After first year: 37% decrease in substance abuse 23% students quit using substances Two years after service: 33% stopped using alcohol 45% stopped using marijuana 22% stopped using tobacco Diversion Stopping those who have started one substance from using another Less likely to have ever used marijuana at posttest. Less likely to have smoked in the last month at posttest Less likely to have ever used a substance when alone at posttest 2

4 The Five Core Components The NCADD Youth Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program utilizes research-based practices that build on the findings of other successful prevention programs by using interventions that are effective in reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors. NCADD-SFV counselors use the following intervention strategies: information dissemination, normative and prevention education, problem identification and referral, community based process and environmental approaches. In addition, youth are taught resistance and social competency skills, such as communication, decision making, stress and anger management, problem solving, and resisting peer pressure. The counselors primarily work with adolescents individually and in small groups; conduct large group prevention/education discussions and programs; train and consult on prevention issues with school staff; coordinate the substance abuse services and policies of the school; and finally, referral and follow-up with students and families needing substance abuse treatment or mental health services in the community. These efforts are culminated in the following five core components: 1. Ninth Grade Prevention Sessions Evidence based drug prevention program (4-8 sessions) during school, lunch or after school. 4. Referral Program Individual and group sessions, serving as an alternative to suspension and arrest 2. School Faculty & Staff Support Assistance in AOD school policy & procedures development Presentations to Faculty meetings 1 on 1 Faculty consultation Classroom presentation 5. School-wide Activities Monthly Video Competition Red Ribbon Week Substance Abuse Awareness Month Great American Smokeout Drunk/Drugged Driving Prevention Month And more 3. Parent Support Presentations to parents during back to school and PTSA meetings Key Facts postcards mailed to parents on how to discuss the issue with youth Parent provided take home lessons 3

5 1. 9 th Grade Prevention Education Series (PES) The Prevention Education Series is an evidence-based prevention program for 9 th grade students. Our on-site counselor works with the school principal to determine how best to integrate the program into the school s schedule. P.E.S. is comprised of youth-specific activities and discussions which research shows prevent and reduce substance abuse amongst adolescents. P.E.S can be offered as a supplement to pre-existing course curriculum, small group meetings during lunch, or work in collaboration with after school clubs. P.E.S has 4 primary topics which can be completed in 4-8 sessions, depending on time allotted. Topic 1: Being an Adolescent Students will learn the normal changes that occur during adolescence. Topic 2: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Students will develop an understanding of the causes and effects of drug use. Topic 3: Family Problems and Pressures Students will develop an awareness of how alcohol and other drug problems affect the family. Topic 4: Skills for Coping Students will develop skills for coping with pressure and problems. Our integrated, alcohol-specific series matches media-related, interpersonal, and environmental prevention strategies to each child s specific stages of alcohol initiation, stages of readiness for change, and specific risk and protective factors. This innovative program has been shown to result in avoidance of, or reductions in alcohol use among youth. 4

6 2. School Faculty and Staff Support Consultation to school personnel staff, administrators, and faculty members is an essential part of the comprehensive services we provide schools. Consultation usually involves feedback on referred students and being a resource for the school community. Faculty Presentations: The on-site counselor provides mini-workshops and faculty meeting presentations on how to identify and safely address suspension of youth substance abuse. The presentations also cover the newest trends and tactics youth employ such as edibles (marijuana-laced foods) and what instructors can do to ensure their class remains a drug-free environment. School ATOD Policy Development Support: We provide school administration with support in developing and implementing effective policy and procedures to address the unique nature of drug trafficking and use at their school. We also provide a referral service as an alternative to suspension and arrest for youth suspected/discovered with contraband. Faculty Consultation The NCADD counselor serves as a resource to support faculty who are teaching about alcohol and other drugs, staff who work with alcohol and drug-abusing parents, and administrators who meet with parent groups and community organizations to discuss alcohol and other drug issues. Being a resource requires staff to be knowledgeable about substance abuse prevention trends, best practices, resources, school policies and procedures, and local and state laws related to substance use. 5

7 3. Parental Support Over 40% of underage drinking and substance abuse occurs in the home. This is primarily because parents are unaware of warning signs, appropriate prevention steps, or safeguarding their medicine and alcohol in the home. In addition, many parents are not even sure how to speak to their youth about drug or alcohol use. Our parental support component serves to empower parents through education. Our comprehensive services cover a multitude of issues today s parents are confronted with, and provide them a wealth of resources and training in keeping their youth drug free, and steps to take if they suspect drug use. If you care about the youth, care for the parents PTA / Back to School Night: Our counselors coordinate with the facilitator of the local PTA to provide mini workshops to parents, which cover such topics as teens, parents, alcohol, drugs, health, and the law. Other topics include What Every Parent Should Know About Prom Night and After, Transition to High School, and so forth. The counselor is also available to provide parent presentations during back-to-school night. Key Fact Card Mail-Outs: Ten Key Facts postcards are mailed to parents for five weeks. The cards tell parents what they can say to their children to help them avoid alcohol. Parents can return a detachable, postage-paid portion of the card to provide information about their interaction with their children and its usefulness. Take Home Lessons: Parents and guardians are provided with four weekly, take-home prevention activities they can complete with their children and return. The lessons include an alcohol avoidance contract for the child to sign and a feedback sheet to collect satisfaction and usage data from parents. Parent Consultation/Home Drug and Alcohol Test: Parents often want feedback on their teen s involvement in the program and/or advice on how to address situations with teens (their own as well as other teens in the community). The on-site counselor meets with parents by appointment and provides them with tools to meet their needs, which can include youth home drug and alcohol test. 6

8 4. Drug and Alcohol Counseling In our local schools, students who are discovered abusing or in possession of a controlled substance are suspended and/or arrested. Neither of these responses leads to sobriety or recovery. Both reinforce that child becoming part of the 40% of LA high school students who drop out. This ill-fated system is known to be ineffective; however, school administrators are left with no other recourse. Many instructors attest to overlooking drug use as opposed to inviting what they perceive to be new legal and educational obstacles into a struggling youth s life. NCADD offers drug and alcohol counseling on a referral basis as an alternative. Key Components: Serves as an alternative to arrest and suspension Facilitated by Certified Substance Abuse counselors. Weekly reports are provided to administration and probation officers. Treatment is free of cost to youth and family. Individual Counseling Individual counseling is short-term and primarily for crisis-intervention or to motivate students to participate in one of the groups or in additional services outside of school. In addition, it also helps students who need more time and practice to absorb the information and/or skills provided in the Prevention Education Series. All counseling sessions are focused and time-limited. There is no minimum number of sessions required except in the case of mandatory referrals (a mandatory referral is when the Principal requires involvement because of a violation of school policy). In this case, the adolescent is required to see the NCADD counselor for three visits for a full assessment. Group Counseling This portion of programing is funded by the California Access to Recovery Effort. Group counseling is led by the NCADD counselor, and based on the social model (e.g., they are not 12-Step meetings.) Generally, the groups help adolescents identify and resist social and situational pressures to use substances, correct misperceptions about the prevalence and acceptability of substance use, focus on the personal consequences of use, teach and provide opportunities to practice resistance and coping skills, and identify barriers to using the skills or adopting healthy attitudes. 7

9 5. School-wide Activities Youth engagement is a key component to our prevention program. NCADD utilizes schoolwide activities to turn the tide on the ever growing drug culture presented to the youth in the media. What makes our activities innovative and different than conventional drug initiatives is that ours are designed and led by youth. By providing youth with both socio-emotional and tangible incentives, namely public venues of self-expression and monetary reward, we maximize youth participation. Below you will find a list of events for which we collaborate with the students and staff to develop school wide programs, posters and announcements. Red Ribbon Week Substance Abuse Awareness Month Great American Smoke-out Drunk/Drugged Driving Prevention Month National COA Awareness Week Alcohol Awareness Month Kick Butts Day Safe Prom Activities and more No Thank You Monthly Video Competition: We offer monthly school wide video competitions. Students enrolled in participating schools develop a one minute long video on one statistic for the theme of the month. Each video ends with the student stating their statistic and saying No Thank You. For example, a student could read a poem on date rape with no image on the screen and at the end say 1 in 5 instances of rape includes alcohol No thank you. The purpose is to give students a multitude of things to say and think about when offered that drug. The difference here as opposed to other PSA s is rather than adults telling youth why and how to say no to drug, youth form the very demographic of the audience deliver the message. Each video is uploaded to the Facebook video competition page and the top three videos with the most likes or shares win a visa gift card. The objective is to use youth social media networks to spread the message. 8

10 NCADD-SFV NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG DEPENDENCE OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, INC. 9