Home
> College of Education
> Secondary Education
> SEDEBA> Youth Substance Abuse Prevention> Myakka City Community Center
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home
> College of Education
> Secondary Education
> SEDEBA> Youth Substance Abuse Prevention> Myakka City Community Center
|
|
|
|
Manatee County Children's Services
Youth Substance Abuse Prevention
Program EvaluationProgram Plan Report
Agency: Myakka City Community Center
Program: Choices
Needs Assessment/Outcomes Design Match
Outcomes Design/Outcome Data Match
Comprehensive Programming/Program Process
Target Population: All children who come to the Center receive substance abuse prevention. (Parent or school referral from surrounding geographic area.) Divided into two groups – ages 5-8 and 9+. The younger children participate in the Choices program. They are further divided into small groups which circulate through the program. Older kids participate in Youth Empowerment program during the summer.
Number of Participants Served: 40-80.
Main Goal(s): Preventing youth substance abuse.
Activities Conducted or Services Provided: Classes.
Qualifications/Credentials of Prevention Specialists: Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) license. One prevention specialist has 13 years experience. A supervising staff member has an A.A. degree.
General Approach: Games, videos, role-plays, worksheets, discussions. It is a combination of national curricula supplemented by resources from other curricula or sources. Age- and developmentally appropriate –the curriculum materials are aimed at the children’s age group. No peer-led component.
Schedule of Activities: Monday-Thursday 3-3:30 and 3:30-4:00 during the academic year.
Reinforcement: Constant reinforcement of skills. Continues until children age into program for older children. Varied formats.
Academic Support: Homework help every afternoon. Project Smart: FCAT prep, reading, math.
Substances Addressed: Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, prescription drugs. Also, smokeless tobacco.
Constructive/Healthy Alternatives to Substance Abuse Offered or Promoted: Sports: intramural touch football, basketball, softball. Walking (on walking paths on site grounds). Next summer will be talent shows.
Opportunities for Youth Participation in the Community: None.
Knowledge about substance abuse addressed? Yes. Attitudes about substance abuse addressed? Yes. Substance abuse behavior addressed? Yes. Refusal skills/peer resistance taught? Yes. Negative media messages addressed? Yes. Stress management/anger control/self-control addressed? Yes. Anger control, conflict resolution, self control. Decision-making skills/critical thinking addressed? Yes. Self-esteem addressed? Yes. Positive outlook. High and positive life goals promoted? Yes. But life goals are dealt with more in YEP. Self-efficacy/sense of personal power/personal optimism promoted? Yes. Other issues addressed? Opportunity for youth leadership with peers or in community? No. Recognize program participants for achievement? (e.g., awards, celebrations)
No.
Needs Assessments Done: Intake forms, pretests, online tools, 40 Developmental Assets, behavioral assessments.
Evidence Target Population is At-Risk: They are at risk for being mostly rural. Some are from single-parent families or step-families.
Highest Priority Risk Factors (from Online Tools):
(Children under 9) Independent problem-solving, education and learning problems.
Outcomes from Online POM Database: Youth will learn about the dangers of substance abuse and its effects on them physically, emotionally, and socially.
Targets from Online POM Database: 80%.
Replicated Program? Mixed program, including replicated elements.
Theory: (for “Project Drug Free” (Nimco Inc.): “Anti-drug attitudes and life skills must be strong before children enter middle school or junior high. Children are already learning misinformation about drugs at this age. Belonging to a group and being accepted by peers are most important. Children must learn they can keep their individuality and still belong.” Curriculum covers: names of illegal substances, effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, self- and social awareness, how they are an integral part of their families, how they are an integral part of their communities, decision-making skills, problem solving skills, qualities of healthy relationship, strategies for coping with stress, importance of helping others, setting goals, additional resources, teacher's evaluations.
http://www.nimcoinc.com/productDetails1.asp?category=elemDrug&product_id=NIM-131-2-CW
Evidence Basis
Pretest/posttest materials that come with the curriculum (e.g., daily activity sheets). Indicator from online POM database: “Clients demonstrate refusal skills and increase their knowledge of substance abuse and its effect on the body.”
Needs Assessment/Outcomes Design Match
Considering the risk factors of older children in the population, learning about the dangers of substance abuse and its physical, emotional, and social effects is a match.
The match could be strengthened by an outcome focusing on independent problem-solving, or education and learning problems.
The description of the outcome as “learning” could be made more specific – is the learning an increase in knowledge? A change in attitude? A new skill? The indicator includes a skill (“Clients demonstrate refusal skills”), so there could be at least two outcomes tracked – knowledge and refusal skills.
Outcomes Design/Outcome Data Match
Do the pretest/posttest materials that come with the curriculum measure only knowledge? If there are items that are specific to knowledge, attitude, behavior, or skill, these items should be separated and reported separately.
Instruments might be designed to evaluate how children under 9 improve on independent problem-solving or education and learning.
Data on knowledge and refusal skills should be tracked separately.
Prevention Program Theory/Evidence-Based Programs Match
“Project Drug Free” (Nimco Inc.), according to its description, has considerable construct validity. It also claims to have been based on research and evaluated.
However, no evidence has been presented that the program has been validated by independent, peer-reviewed research studies.
It is not mentioned by SAMHSA as a model, effective, or promising program or by NIDA’s Preventing Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents, 2nd Edition.
Calculations of Cost EffectivenessNo evidence was provided on program cost-effectiveness.
Submitted Action Plan
The Action Plan includes plans for addressing problem-solving.
Followup on the Action Plan is suggested.
Also suggested is the development of measured outcomes related to attitude/perception and tracking those outcomes, alongside perhaps the development of new strategies or approaches to affecting attitude/perception.
 |
 |
 |
|
Copyright © 2007, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue,
Tampa, FL 33620 -- (813) 974-2011
|
|
|
|
Direct questions or comments about the Web site to jordan@tempest.coedu.usf.edu
|