'US': Primary Prevention, Para-Counseling, Research Project.

N

373

National Inst. on Drug Abuse (DHEW/PHS), Rockville, MD.

Counseling; Demonstration Programs; Drug Abuse; Helping Relationship; Individual Development; Mental Health; Models; Paraprofessional Personnel; Program Development; Self Concept; Social Adjustment; Youth

This report provides both a focal (part) and a subsidiary (whole) description of the process and results of a primary prevention, paracounseling, research project, funded for two years by the National Institute on Drug Abuse to create and research a "model" program which could be used nation-wide to help prevent drug abuse. Adolescents, young adults, and senior citizens were selected and trained for a period of 200 hours. Training combined didactics and experiential learning and emphasized high synergy; positive, healthy self-development, and project development as the most important training outcome. After training, the youth and senior paracounselors were paired with one or two fifth and sixth grade children who had volunteered to join the program. Most of these children had demonstrated problem behavior in school and home. Through one-to-one and group sharing, the use of complementary alternatives such as crafts and sports, and emphasis on mental health and development of positive potential, a program uniting all ages (generations) was created. As a result, significant increases were noted in the children's self-concept, positive behavior at home and school, in teacher and parent sentiment toward the children, positive attitude of the child toward family; as well as in many factors measured by the children's personality questionnaire such as intellignece, enthusiasm, conscientiousness, self-reliance, confidence, extroversion, and factors predicting better academic performance. (Author)

1976

ED126383