Category Archives: Prevention News

Congratulations to the participants of the White Plains, NY Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop. During this two-day course led by Alayne MacArthur, National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA) Lead Trainer, participants from all over the U.S. learned how to deliver and conduct Lifeskills Provider Training Workshops for their respective organizations.

Customizable training services are available through National Health Promotion Associates, Inc. (NHPA), a health consulting, research, and development firm founded by Dr. Botvin, the developer of the Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) program.

LifeSkills Provider Training Workshops prepare teachers, school counselors, prevention specialists, police officers, community youth educators, and other program providers to effectively implement the state-of-the-art prevention education activities and teaching strategies found in the LST program.

Each workshop plays an important role in enhancing the confidence and skill capacity of participants, resulting in optimal implementation of the LST program. While training is not required, it is highly recommended in order to achieve optimal program results. Training increases the effectiveness of the program and assists providers to develop implementation strategies for the programs comfort and fit in individual sites.

Join us for this 2-part professional development workshop on 4/17 & 4/19.  Space is limited!

The status of marijuana has undergone rapid legal and cultural shifts in recent years. These changes present specific challenges to school and community health educators. According to recent data, marijuana use exceeds cigarette use among 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students(1) and the perception of its harmful effects have lessened. This alarming trend represents a shift that many health educators seek to reverse and address with the youth they serve. In this workshop, participants will explore the social and legal trends in acceptance, the pharmacology of marijuana, and effective strategies for responding to the misconceptions adolescents hold about marijuana.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• Examine trends in the social and legal acceptance of marijuana in the United States.
• Improve basic knowledge of the pharmacology of marijuana, including distinctions between medicinal and recreational uses.
• Consider effective strategies for responding to learner biases and misconceptions about social and legal trends.
• Develop specific responses to challenging questions that arise in school and community settings.

FORMAT: This course uses a combination of facilitator-led activities and independent-study.

SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: School or community-based educators providing instruction to learners in grades 6 – 12.

DATES AND TIMES:

• FACILITATOR SESSION 1: April 17, 2017 (3PM ET)
• FACILITATOR SESSION 2: April 19, 2017 (3PM ET)

(Independent study is to be completed between facilitator sessions.)

COST: $300.00 per participant (A certificate of completion will be provided at the conclusion of the workshop. Participants must attend all sessions and complete all work.)

More Information: Download registration form

North Oakland Community Coalition (NOCC) in Lake Orion, Michigan completed the inaugural session of their BotvinLifeSkills Training program, EmPOWER5 at Paint Creek Elementary School.  Thanks to a grant from the Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority-Substance Use Disorder Services, NOCC was able to offer the program to all four 5^thgrade classes during winter of 2017.

Based on preliminary data from the Botvin LifeSkills Training survey, most of the students said they learned about making good decisions, they learned to think about advertising in a different way, they learned how to confront a bully or to say no when offered drugs or tobacco and most said they “enjoyed the hour long sessions and learned a lot”

Mrs. Lauren Smith, Paint Creek principal, said “We are so appreciative of North Oakland Community Coalition to offer our 5^th grade students this opportunity to expand and deepen their thinking for when they are faced with making difficult decisions.  All students, at one time or another are in situations when the decisions they make will either help or hurt them as individuals.  We believe in providing the best information for our students so they choose to make the decisions that will benefit themselves and others in their peer group.”

NOCC plans to offer the program to the new 5^th grade students at Paint Creek in winter of 2018 but also plans to include another Lake Orion elementary school in autumn of 2017.

Webinar: This webinar is designed to look at the LifeSkills Training (LST) program and the outcomes related to the five core competencies of social and emotional learning (SEL).

Under the federal education law, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), schools can expand their SEL programs that teach children self-control, to resolve conflicts, and to make responsible decisions and avoid risky behaviors. Research shows that these “soft skills” benefit children for their entire lives and can have a positive impact on schools.

Join us to learn how LifeSkills Training (LST) not only supports SEL competencies but also promotes healthy alternatives to risky behavior through activities designed to teach students the necessary skills to resist social (peer) pressures. LST helps students develop greater self-esteem and self-confidence, enables students to effectively cope with anxiety, and enhances their decision-making and problem-solving skills.

Duration: 60 minutes

About the presenter: A graduate of Penn State University, Kim Williams is committed to enhancing the lives of youth with her extensive background in evidence-based prevention program implementation. A dynamic professional who has worked in schools, non-profits, and university statewide support organizations, Kim currently trains future implementers of the LifeSkills Training program as part of the National Health Promotion Associates national training cadre. Kim has focused on social and emotional learning through her work with the Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS®) program as a national and international trainer. Her focus concentrates on translating evidence-based program research practices into best practices in community and school setting program implementation.

Register for this webinar: Tuesday, April 11, 2017 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT . After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Space is limited.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — More than 100 state and local officials met Monday to discuss ways to provide better health services in the region, and help people battle obesity and drug addiction.

What some learned at the event — Public Health 3.0: Moving Health Forward, a program set up by the state Department of Health and held at Penn State Schuylkill — is that one of the keys to success is knowing what resources are available.

“Concerning education and awareness and prevention, how and what can you do? There is nothing that I’m aware of in the county right now for, like, any kind of education and awareness programs,” Mary Beth Dougherty, staff assistant to state Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, said at the forum, held at the campus Health and Wellness Center.

“Actually, that’s what I do,” said Diane Rowland, prevention services coordinator for Schuylkill County Drug and Alcohol Program, Pottsville.

“I work with all the school districts in the county. I provide classroom education anywhere from grades K to 12. But when I’m going in and talking to the kids, I see them one time a year. The real key is to pursue evidence-based prevention programs. A really good example of that is something called LifeSkills Training developed by Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin. And it has about 35 years of research behind it,” Rowland said.

The website for the state Department of Health contains information about the Pennsylvania State Health Improvement Plan, a multi-year strategic plan that began in 2015.

Its three primary health priorities are obesity, physical inactivity and nutrition, primary care and preventative services, and mental health and substance use, according to the site.

More Information: Read Full Article

Congratulations to the teachers who recently trained to deliver the Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) program in Kenya last month!

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Regional Office for Eastern Africa (ROEA) along with theNational Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) helped bring the LST program to the teachers and children in Kenya.  LifeSkills Trainer Alayne MacArthur trained the teachers on how to effectively implement the state-of-the-art prevention education activities and teaching strategies found in the LST program. The teaching techniques of facilitation and feedback, coaching of cognitive and behavioral skills, and behavioral rehearsal ensure that students fully understand and can demonstrate the key skills taught in the curriculum.

Middle School students in Kenya are learning to develop skills that help them enhance their self-esteem, develop problem-solving abilities, reduce stress and anxiety, and manage anger. The middle-schoolers are also learning how to meet personal challenges such as overcoming shyness, communicating clearly, building relationships, and avoiding violence. These skills combined with the drug resistance skills found in the LifeSkills Training program help students build effective defenses against pressures to use tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.

“The fact that teachers halfway around the world are bringing the LifeSkills Training program to life in their classrooms and the profound impact our work can have on the lives of so many children…that’s what makes our work so important and so rewarding,” said Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, professor emeritus at Cornell University’s Weill Medical College and developer of the LifeSkills Training program.

Project leadership team: 

Boniface Wilunda – UNODC

Dr. Saade Abdallah – UNODC

Dr. Fayzal Sulliman – UNODC

George Karisa – NACADA

Alayne MacArthur – LifeSkills Trainer

Susan Maua – NACADA

IRON RIVER—Certainly the middle-school years of a student’s life can be challenging in any number of ways. Over the last three months, the Dickinson-Iron District Health Department has tried to help West Iron County sixth graders navigate some of the tricky waters they’ll experience as they transition through their teen years.

DIHD health educator Kelly Rumpf guided the students through a program called “Botvin LifeSkills Training: Promoting Health and Personal Development.”

The curriculum was taught in health classes–at West Iron in Lisa Johns’ classes and as well as at Forest Park. The two county schools were the first that Rumpf taught the curriculum.

“It came about because there is a substance abuse problem in the U.P.,” said Rumpf, who added that she will teach the unit at Kingsford beginning this week. “Student initiation rates are climbing.

“We approached the two schools initially to see if they were interested. We received our initial grant through NorthCare to provide this program to these schools.”

According to the Botvin LifeSkills Training website, lifeskillstraining.com, the program is a research-based substance abuse prevention program that is designed to reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse and violence by targeting the major social and psychological factors that promote the initiation of substance use and other risky behaviors.

The training program promotes healthy alternatives to risky behavior through activities designed to:
• Teach students the necessary skills to resist social (peer) pressures to smoke, drink, and use drugs
• Help students develop greater self-esteem and build self-confidence
• Enable students to effectively cope with anxiety

More Information: Health county

Prevention works when communities come together like this! Deerfield Public Schools District 109 in partnership with CTAD – Community: The Anti-Drug have been implementing the Botvin LifeSkills Training program with their students AND parents thanks to The Jordan Michael Filler Foundation.

After losing their son Jordan to a heroin overdose in early 2014, Mark and Julie Filler made the courageous choice to bring the family’s eight-year battle into the open with the hope of preventing similar tragedies.

“The parents have to have the same tools, the same communications skills, the same language as the student,” said Julie Filler.  “I was that parent and I didn’t have those skills. You think you are doing everything right.”

More Information: Watch video

INDIANAPOLIS — A bill that could provide money to schools for substance abuse prevention will soon go to the Senate floor, a local legislator said.

Sen. Randy Head, R-Logansport, authored Senate Bill 62, which, if passed and signed into law, would create a pilot program and fund for substance abuse prevention programs for state schools, administered by the Indiana Department of Education.

According to the most recent National Kids Count Data Book data, 32,000 Indiana teenagers ages 12 to 17 abused alcohol or drugs in 2013 — and Head said the opioid and heroin epidemic has continually gotten worse throughout the state.

He said that programs that could start via the pilot program can help students get the early drug prevention that they need.

“If you can diagnose it earlier, if you can solve it earlier, then that person has a better school experience,” Head said. “They’re better prepared for life after school and the chances are much greater that they’ll be a productive member of society.”

Head is chairman of a task force on substance abuse and child safety, which voted on the creation of the bill. They wanted to duplicate substance abuse prevention programs in two Indiana counties — Hamilton and Vanderburgh.

The Senate Committee on Appropriations recommended an appropriation to the pilot program fund of $300,000 for the biennium, July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2019. Head said the bill currently doesn’t stipulate a certain number of schools for the program, adding the more the better.

Schools and their health providers, Head said, will determine the type of program for the pilot program; the bill just makes the money available to the schools and providers through grants.

It states that the program, however, has to be “evidence based substance abuse prevention programming,” mental health personnel have to be present in schools and the corporations and charter schools in the pilot program should develop a substance abuse prevention policy.

Head said when counselors and specialists go into schools, educators should refer them to students who are in need of a program in order to address their substance issues, and many times, he said, those lingering habits trace back to an unfit home environment.

“They’re trying to figure out every single barrier to success for this child in school and then deal with them all so that child will be successful,” Head said.

In Cass County, all Four County Counseling Center school-based case managers are trained to determine if students are at risk for substance abuse, said Elizabeth Avery, director of school based services.

That’s part of a recently implemented training called Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment, or SBIRT, that began in January.

Through that, Avery said case managers in schools conduct a screening process when they meet with students. They ask them questions about substance abuse that can show whether a student is at risk of substance abuse, and it provides them a way to refer students to more treatment.

“If a minor is using any kind of illicit drugs or drinking at all, then that case manager is really charged with getting some treatment and support around the student,” Avery said.

Additionally, Avery said that in May 2016, about 25 school-based case managers within Four County — eight to 10 in Cass County — underwent a LifeSkills Training workshop, which is an evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program that services students in grades three through 10.

Pioneer Regional School Corp. has two groups for life skills training, Avery said, and she hopes for some of the other Cass County schools to start groups after more training this summer.

Avery said the earlier a case worker, educator or parent can intervene with a students’ substance abuse, the better outcome such intervention can have.

She said research for the LifeSkills Training backs up the program, proving it decreases substance abuse and risk behavior in general for students.

“If we’re not working to prevent these problems from ever occurring,” Avery said, “then we’re going to have this ongoing substance abuse issue.”

More Information: Read Full Article

Last week’s article “School Board Gets First Look At Latest Student Substance Use Survey Results” carried both good news as well as some concerning news. With the opiate epidemic that so many towns across our country have been facing, we must realize that there continues to be a long road ahead of us in saving our next generation from the scourge of addiction. However, Sandwich has been successful in making inroads recently, and that is reflected in the online survey taken by the STEM Academy and high school students during the 2015-2106 academic year. To see that both alcohol and marijuana usage by Sandwich teens has dropped since the 2012 survey gives us hope for the future, for we all know that these are the “gateway” drugs to opiate usage.

According to Melissa Janiszewski, opioid prevention program specialist for Barnstable County, the 10 percent drop in marijuana usage is in direct correlation to the inclusion of “Botvin Lifeskills” training that students have been receiving within the health classes in school, and this decrease is unique to Sandwich.

What is not known by most residents in town, however, is that access to “Botvin Lifeskills” in our schools has been made possible due to the kindness of the Kiwanis Club of Sandwich. As a staff member of Caron Treatment Centers, which has provided the prevention programs locally, but more importantly, as a mother who is passionate about substance abuse prevention for our children, I originally wrote a grant to the club in 2012. The Kiwanis Levreault Grant Committee funded the program that very first year, and with its initial success, continues to do so to this day. To see these results reflected in just a few short years has been quite amazing and extremely impactful to our community.

As a grant recipient, I was so impressed by the dedication, passion and hard work of each and every Kiwanis Club member that I joined the club myself! If you know a club member personally, please show them your gratitude as well for everything they do on behalf of our children. Bravo to an amazing group of folks!

Trudy B. Avery, Telbin Drive, Sandwich

More Information: Read Full Article