Week fours blog post is supposed to be about project success, however I've only just begun my new CLA so I haven't had much time to work on my projects. My new CLA is at the Department of Children and Families Substance Abuse and Mental Health division. Ive been working with my supervisor on planning "Recovery Month." Recovery month is in Spetember and is a nation wide effort to promote prevention, treatment, and recovery for substance abuse. This month is also meant to highlight those who have successfully recovered from substance abuse such as young adults and veterans. For Recovery month we are hoping to implement drug and alcohol prevention training programs within elementary and middle schools through the use of local coalitions. My role currently has been putting together information on the program (Lifeskills Training) for a proposal the local coalitions. Lifeskills is a evidence based program for drug and alcohol prevention. It's similar to DARE except lifeskills has shown MUCH better results and has a really good cost benefit. Hopefully this program can be implemented in Leon county schools with the assistance of local coalitions and the financial backing of DCF.
Here is a little Excerpt on what life skills is about: "LifeSkills Training (LST) is a school-based program that aims to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use and violence by targeting the major social and psychological factors that promote the initiation of substance use and other risky behaviors. LST is based on both the social influence and competence enhancement models of prevention. Consistent with this theoretical framework, LST addresses multiple risk and protective factors and teaches personal and social skills that build resilience and help youth navigate developmental tasks, including the skills necessary to understand and resist prodrug influences. LST is designed to provide information relevant to the important life transitions that adolescents and young teens face, using culturally sensitive and developmentally and age-appropriate language and content." -http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/ViewIntervention.aspx?id=109
It would be really cool to try and propose that to a Volusia county coalition too right?
The department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health is going through a lot of reorganization which has given me an inside view of it's restructure and regrowth. My supervisor is having me help her and her unit with their strategic planning for this coming fiscal year. Which means working on their priorities and creating goals & tasks. Apparently, everything has to be written at an 8th grade level which can be checked on Word! I also went to a retirement get together and networked with a lot of the regional directors the other night which was awesome. I met the women who runs DCF Substance Abuse and Mental Health division in Broward (where I'm from) and talked a lot about the interconnection between sub/ment and homelessness. Homelessness especially in Broward is a huge problem, so she invited me to come down to Broward and not only take a tour but to also meet a whole bunch of Nonprofits who work with the homeless in our county.
I've also been given some responsibility on a grant for coalitions to assist in substance abuse prevention marketing which is really exciting as a marketing minor. I'm working towards putting more time and effort into assisting that project as well to get as much experience as I can. Anyways, over all there is an abundance of projects that I have my hand in. All of them are more long term minus the Recovery Month project, so I hope to make great strides in helping them solidify it before I depart.
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