Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Initiatives and Resources
Healthy Communities of the Capital Area (HCCA) supports ongoing youth activities in school districts across our Local Service Area (LSA). HCCA provides assistance to youth groups who engage in addressing community needs around improving physical activity and nutrition, preventing substance abuse and decreasing tobacco use and exposure.
Student Intervention and Reintegration Program (SIRP)
SIRP 2009/10 Schedule
Registration Form
The SIRP program locations have expanded and will be delivered during school year 09-10 through a partnership among: Gardiner Area High School, Hall-Dale High School, Monmouth Academy, Healthy Communities of the Capital Area, and Healthy Futures, Inc.
The Student Intervention and Reintegration Program (SIRP): This 12-hour interactive class is available for teens who have begun to make unhealthy choices about substance use: alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. This evidence-based program provides students with accurate information about the risks of use, and helps them weigh-for themselves-the advantages and disadvantages of continuing to use. Most important, it helps students plan for and commit to changes in their behavior. The program is offered to small groups: 4-10 people. Parents of participating students are provided with information about the program, and how they can support the program's goals for their teen, at the beginning of the program on the first afternoon.
The program accepts students who are:
1) caught and sanctioned for violating school substance abuse policy,
2) identified and referred by school staff, before they are caught and sanctioned,
3) identified and referred by parents who have concern about their teen's attitudes and/or current choices about use,
4) identified and referred by health care or social service providers who are concerned about choices the teen is making concerning substance use, or
5) concerned, themselves, about the choices they are making about substance use.
The Program Works: A survey of 211 Maine students who have participated in the program reports that:
- 89% reported the program overall to be moderately to very helpful.
- 93% reported the study guide to be moderately to very helpful.
Class Instructors:
Gardiner, Hall-Dale and Monmouth: Carla Mowatt, LMSW-cc
Other Southern Kennebec County Locations: Jerard M. Lurz, SMSgt, Maine National Guard
For More Information, Contact the HCCA/Healthy Futures Staff:
Robin Desjardins, SIRP Class Registrar Tel/Fax: 377-5377 rdesjardins@fairpoint.net
Neill Miner, Substance Abuse Prevention Manager Tel: 557-2947 nminer@mcd.org
Karen Tucker, Project Coordinator Tel: 588-5012 ktucker@mcd.org
MYDAUS
HCCA utilizes data from the Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey (MYDAUS), a survey voluntarily conducted every two years by schools to quantify the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances among middle and high school students. Survey results are used to identify the risk and protective factors that influence a student's choice of whether or not to engage in these and related harmful behaviors. Identification of specific populations in which the risk factors are high and the protective factors are low permits the targeting of interventions where they are most needed. Survey results for years 2000 - 2006 are available at the MYDAUS website .
LifeSkills™ Training Program
HCCA supports implementation of the LifeSkills™
Training Program , a research-based substance abuse prevention program
proven 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. HCCA supports
LifeSkills™ teacher training and program implementation across our LSA .
Our local service area includes: Augusta, Chelsea, Farmingdale, Fayette, Gardiner, Hallowell, Litchfield, Manchester, Monmouth, Mount Vernon, Pittston, Randolph, Readfield, Richmond, Vienna, Wayne, West Gardiner, Windsor, Winthrop.
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