Programs Aimed at Reducing Repeat Offenses, Improving Academic Performance for Students at risk for Substance Abuse Disorders
(West Palm Beach, FL) – The Hanley Foundation, a leader in substance abuse prevention programming, announced it was awarded $450,000 in grants from the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network to initiate a series of intervention programs in the Lee County School District designed to reduce suspensions and improve outcomes for students found in possession of drugs or alcohol.
Hanley Foundation expects to facilitate three different programs designed to work in concert to help students who would otherwise face suspension or time in an alternative school environment, said Kevin Mace, Hanley Foundation’s Regional Prevention Coordinator in Lee County. Hanley Foundation is the largest provider of substance abuse prevention services in Florida, working in 14 counties.
“These are ways to intervene with students without resorting to an out-of-school suspension or sending the student to the alternative school setting,” said Mace. “Research shows that students who receive just two 10-day suspensions during an academic year won’t complete that grade on time, and are at a greater risk for dropping out and putting them at a higher risk for substance use.”
Established more than 30 years ago by Mary Jane and Jack Hanley, Hanley Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides programming and grant support for statewide substance use disorder advocacy, prevention, education, and access to quality treatment. Hanley Foundation has changed the conversation surrounding substance use disorders, their prevention, and their treatment.
“We are excited to be partnering with Hanley Foundation to provide these alternatives to suspension for our students who have had an incident involving drugs or alcohol,” said Pete Bohatch, Director of Student Services with the Lee County School District. “We believe these in-depth educational and therapeutic methods will offer young people valuable life skills they can use to make better choices and plan for their futures.”
The Lee County grants, part of a funding process through the state Department of Children and Families, will be used to conduct the following programs:
- Teen Intervene
- A brief, early intervention program for 12- to 18-year-olds who display the early stages of alcohol or drug involvement. Integrating stages of change theory, motivational enhancement, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, the intervention aims to help teens reduce and ultimately eliminate their substance use. The program is typically administered in an outpatient, school, or juvenile detention setting by a trained professional in three, 1-hour sessions conducted 10 days apart.
- Project SUCCESS (Schools Using Coordinated Community Efforts to Strengthen)
- This program is designed to prevent and reduce substance use among students 12 to 18 years of age. The program was originally developed for students attending alternative high schools who are at high risk for substance use and abuse due to poor academic performance, truancy, discipline problems, negative attitudes toward school, and parental substance abuse. In recent years, Project SUCCESS has been used in regular middle and high schools for a broader range of high-risk students. The intervention includes four components:
- The Prevention Education Series (PES), an eight-session alcohol, tobacco, and other drug program conducted by Project SUCCESS counselors.
- Schoolwide activities and promotional materials to increase the perception of the harm of substance use and positively change social norms about substance use
- A parent program that includes informational meetings, parent education, and the formation of a parent advisory committee.
- Individual and group counseling, in which the Project SUCCESS counselors conduct time-limited counseling for youth following their participation in the PES and an individual assessment.
- Parenting Wisely
- This highly interactive course is designed by family and social scientists to equip parents with the tools necessary to engage youth in difficult family scenarios. Parents learn constructive skills proven to lessen drug and alcohol abuse in youth, school and homework problems, delinquency and other problem behaviors, family conflict and more. Interested parents should contact Hanley Foundation to participate in this online program.
- This program is designed to prevent and reduce substance use among students 12 to 18 years of age. The program was originally developed for students attending alternative high schools who are at high risk for substance use and abuse due to poor academic performance, truancy, discipline problems, negative attitudes toward school, and parental substance abuse. In recent years, Project SUCCESS has been used in regular middle and high schools for a broader range of high-risk students. The intervention includes four components:
For more information about Hanley Foundation, or to request free prevention programming for a school, church or youth group, please visit www.hanleyfoundation.org or call 561-268-2355.
