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Program Goals: 1) Help high-risk and at-risk adolescents currently
on probation discover the connection between their alcohol or
substance abuse and their criminal activity.
2) Reduce recidivism of high-risk and at-risk adolescents currently on probation.
3) Reduce the over- representation of minority populations in the Midland
Juvenile Justice system.
4) Educate adolescents currently incarcerated in the Midland Juvenile detention
center about the negative effects of their alcohol or substance abuse related
behavior.
5) Help high-risk and at-risk adolescents currently on probation successfully
complete their probation.
La Buena Vida will educate adolescents on
probation about substance abuse and build resiliency skills, personal developmental
assets, reduce risk and/ or increase protective factors in the individual,
peer or family domains.
The project activities include:
1) Working with Midland Juvenile Detention center,
the Program Coordinator or staff member will provide substance
abuse related education weekly to those adolescents incarcerated.
2) Working with the Midland Juvenile Probation Office, the Program Coordinator
or staff member will make contact with each adolescent on probation for a
substance abuse or alcohol related violation or any adolescents on probation
identified at risk or high risk for abusing illicit drugs or alcohol and
invite them to participate in this project.
For those who choose to participate, La Buena Vida will provide:
3) Individual sessions to identify individual, peer or family risk & protective
factors and build individual developmental assets with a Licensed Chemical
Dependency Counselor, Counselor Intern or PDAP Trained Staff Member provided
weekly.
4) Peer-oriented support groups (2 times weekly) which counter the effects
of deviant norms and behaviors by creating an environment for youth to interact
within a positive peer group
5) Structure supervised alternative activities and events to help youth in
high-risk environments develop personal and social skills in a natural and
effective way.
6) A safe and drug-free place for adolescents to explore their potential
problems and discover solutions.
Each activity that La Buena Vida program engages in
has been researched and proven effective to reduce substance abuse
by the National Center of Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). Research
now confirms that interventions aimed at reducing the risk factors
and increasing the protective factors linked to substance abuse and
related problem behavior can produce immediate and long-term positive
results.
Among the risk factors for substance abuse in the individual domain are a lack
of knowledge about the negative consequences associated with using illegal
substances, attitudes favorable toward use, early onset of use, biological
or psychological dispositions, antisocial behavior, sensation seeking, and
lack of adult supervision (Bry, 1983; Hawkins et al., 1992; Scheier & Newcomb,
1991).
Research has shown that social and personal skills building can enhance individual
capacities, influence attitudes, and promote behavior inconsistent with use.
These interventions usually include information about the negative effects
of substance use (Bell, Ellickson, & Harrison, 1993; Botvin, Baker, Dusenbury,
Botvin, & Diaz, 1995; Ellickson, Bell, & McGuigan, 1993; Hansen, 1996;
Pentz et al., 1990; Schinke & Cole, 1995; Tobler, 1986, 1992).
Substance abuse and underage drinking is common for adolescents in Midland,
Texas. This contributes substantially to juvenile delinquency, violence, school
drop out rates, and criminal activity.
The Juvenile Justice System in Midland County is
challenged by an overrepresentation of minority adolescents incarcerated
due to these problems of drug abuse, underage drinking, gang
activity, violence, theft, domestic violence, sexual assault
and other violations. The majority of these young people incarcerated
or on probation do not realize that their own alcohol & substance
abuse contributes to their criminal activity.
The Midland Police Department reported 502 Juvenile
Arrests, and also reported 193 underage drinking party interventions,
322 minors arrested for possessing or consuming alcoholic beverages,
37 alcohol related accidents involving drivers under 21 years
of age and cited 17 retail stores for selling alcohol to minors.
The Midland Juvenile Detention Center reported the
rate of Hispanics has risen from 46% to 56% of the total population
of juveniles incarcerated between 1999 and 2003. The Hispanic
population makes up only 29% of Midland's population and the
number of African Americans in Juvenile Detention has averaged
19.6% even though they only make up 7% of the population. This
is clearly an overrepresentation of the general population.
Substance abuse and underage drinking is common
for adolescents in Midland, Texas. La Buena Vida will help at-risk
and high-risk adolescents successfully complete their probation
by focusing on substance abuse related education, building individual
developmental assets, learning decision making skills, reducing
risk factors and increasing protective factors in their individual,
peer or family domains.
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