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Prevention Services
Drug/Alcohol Prevention Education:
The curriculum SODAT uses not only addresses the
dangers and consequences of drug and alcohol usage, but the underlying
issues that lead to substance abuse as well. Our program is geared toward
active participation and involvement rather than just lecturing from the
facilitator.
COSA
(Children of Substance Abusers):
Support groups for children (age 5-17) who have been
affected by their parent’s substance abuse. Parental
participation is not required. A child’s recovery does not depend on a
parent’s sobriety.
TLC
(Teens Learning to Care) Teen Center: located in the
Deptford Mall, the center provides positive alternatives to substance
abuse by offering drug/alcohol-free activities to at-risk youth, peer
tutoring, parenting skills, Children of Divorce/Separation support groups,
movie night, drop-in services, crisis counseling, anger management
workshops and counseling, date rape prevention workshops, and other
significant issues are addressed when identified by participating youth.
Cognitive Behavioral Skills:
Teaches participating adolescents new life skills in an
effort to provide them with alternative methods and options to deal with
their anger, frustration, and perceived lack of choices.
This project will help youth understand and evaluate
their behaviors, allow them to develop new ways of thinking, and practice
learned strategies in real life situations. The Cognitive Behavioral
Skills Group deals with issues including self-esteem; learning from our
mistakes; decision making; keys to communication; self-control; dealing
with conflict and conflict styles; positive and negative assertive
behaviors; anger management; how to deal with accusations; moral
reasoning; understanding wants and needs; personal action plan on how to
be successful.
Strengthening Families:
This evidenced based prevention program includes both
the parents and the children (age 11 – 17). Support groups assist the
parents and children in joining together as they incorporate protective
factors into their family systems.
Project P.A.S.S.:
Project PASS is a to reduce or prevent school
suspension and expulsions. Students that have been suspended continue
their educational requirements while spending the school day at SODAT.
The target population for Project P.A.S.S. (Positive
Alternatives to School Suspension) is seventh through twelfth grade
students who have been or are at-risk of being suspended from school. This
program will provide these students with ATOD (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other
Drug) prevention education, life/social skills training, such as anger
management; communication and interpersonal skills; moral reasoning;
information on problem solving; developing empathy; family living;
work-related skills; personal awareness issues; understanding self in an
effort to prevent and reduce future suspensions and expulsions.
When a student is suspended from school, he/she is often left home
unsupervised because many parents work. Not only does this result in
academic failure, school drop out, and further disconnection from the
educational process, but it also allows for increased ATOD use and
increased criminal and violent behavior. By offering alternative programs
and strategies, we can reduce some of the factors that lead to poverty and
crime by increasing the probability of high school graduations.
Anger Management:
SODAT offers Anger Management groups for adolescents.
We use the SAMHSA approved curriculum for the 10 week sessions.
This program is offered in the Teen Center of the Deptford Mall.
Positive Action:
Positive Action is a science based
program that has been proven to be effective in making positive changes,
including increased academic achievement, attendance, positive behavior,
decreased violence, decreased drug use, and a decreased sense of
alienation and distraction. Positive Action is appropriate for children
and adolescents between the ages of 4 and 18 and provides age
appropriate curricula for each individual grade level. Those who
complete the Positive Action program will improve academic performance,
including improved academic scores, attendance, and behavior and
decreased school suspensions; decrease alcohol, tobacco, and other drug
use and intentions to use; increase protective factors; improve
self-concept; decrease violent and delinquent behaviors; and increase
parental involvement with their children at home and with
school/community activities. |