Date of Award
1-1-1992
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Child and Youth Care Administration
Advisor
Mary Ellen Sapp
Keywords
Alateen, Alcohol Abuse, At Risk Persons, Community Programs, Confidentiality, Core Team, Counselor Role, Decision Making, Dropout Characteristics, Drug Abuse, Rehabilitation Act, Group Counseling, Law Enforcement, Nedia Effects, Hodels, Peer Pressure, Predictors, Prevention., Program Descriptions, Program Effectiveness, Referral, SADD, Secondary Schools, Self Concept, Self Esteem, Self Reporting Rating Scale, School Resource Officer, Smoking, Student Assistance Program, Student Behavior, Substance Abuse, Tobacco Use, Values, Zero Tolerance.
Abstract
This practicum was designed to organize a drug prevention/intervention program for high school students. The primary goal was to organize a Core Team to become an effective instrument for addressing alcohol and drug prevention/intervention strategies for the targeted population. The second aim was to impact staff members by assisting them to recognize early warning signs of potential substance abusers and at-risk students. The third aim was to develop an effective referral system to provide help to students who were suspected of alcohol or drug use. A two day Inservice workshop was developed for staff members to make them aware of the Core Team and Substance Abuse Counselor's roles and responsibilities in addressing substance abuse problems. A handbook was developed that contained suggestions for intervention procedures for students identified as drug and alcohol users, prevention of alcohol and drug use, objectives of an alcohol and drug awareness program, student drug policy, referral to community programs, and referral guidelines. The Inservice workshop provided staff members an opportunity to discuss any concerns they night have on substance abuse prevention/intervention strategies. An Alateen program provided fellowship and support for young people. Cooperation with local media, community agencies, and mental health agencies was net by various activities throughout the school year. The SADD club helps students to accept their own power and use it in a positive fashion for themselves and peers. This practicum was successful as verified by the adoption and implementation of the eight objectives recommended by the writer. The Core Team remained active throughout the school year. An indirect outcome of this practicum was the enlistment of the University of South Florida's "SAFE TEAM.” a drug prevention/intervention grant program, to assist all the high schools in the writer's county with a training program to develop "peer teams" to help fight drugs. The writer was able to convince the coordinator of the program that their services were needed at the high school level.