YOUTH INTERVENTION PROGRAM SHOWING RESULTS

Fewer Kids Using Alcohol, Marijuana

Parents can now refer their children to an early intervention program that
youths once had to be referred to through the courts.

If parents suspect their children are using drugs or alcohol, they can call
a court designated worker to set up an initial screening.

"One of the goals of the program is to get parents and kids talking," said
Dianne McFarling, early intervention specialist at RiverValley Behavioral
Health, where the programs are held. "If parents and kids can talk, you can
work through a lot of problems. But if you turn your head, it's not going
to happen."

The program is also seeing results. Of those who complete early
intervention, 21 percent reported a reduction in alcohol use after six
months, while 17 percent report a reduction in marijuana use, according to
a survey conducted by Spalding University in Louisville.

The program is administered through the Kentucky Division of Substance
Abuse, which commissioned the study. The program first became available in
1997 in Owensboro and went statewide in 2000, McFarling said.

The intervention program is for ages 13 to 18, but children younger and
those up to age 21 have attended, McFarling said. Depending on their ages,
they spend from six to 20 hours in class, talking about goals,
communication in their families and how drugs and alcohol affect their
lives. They also learn skills necessary to keep them off drugs and alcohol.
Parents attend the initial class to learn tips on what to look for and how
to prevent substance abuse.

"We really try to focus on what is most important," McFarling said. "Then
we look at how drugs and alcohol jeopardizes that."

Youths completing exit interviews wrote that the course helped them "think
more" about their choices and how they will educate their friends.

One person wrote: "I will change who I hang with and think twice before
using drugs or alcohol."

Teens often exhibit irrational behavior, but major changes may indicate a
more severe problem, McFarling said. Parents should look for sudden
changes, such as with friends, weight loss or gain or extreme withdrawal.

"They're at an age where they have parents who want for them the best, but
it has to come to the point where the young person says this is what I
want, and as much as Mom and Dad love me they can't do it for me,"
McFarling said.

Court designated worker Carmen Fleming said parents think it's a great program.

"It's a very valuable program in the community," she said. "There's nothing
else like it."

About 500 Daviess County youths go through the program each year, Fleming
said. All first and second offenders with drug- and alcohol-related charges
are referred through the courts. Charges are dropped after successful
completion.

The court designated workers also work closely with the schools. If a young
person is caught with marijuana at school, the teen may be referred to the
program to keep his record clean.

Fleming estimated 12 to 13 percent get re-arrested on drug or alcohol
related charges.

"It's a very educational thing for the parents," she said. "(McFarling)
does a great parenting piece that gives them warning signs and tools to use
to keep their kids from using in the first place. It also helps parents and
children bond."

Cost for the program is $50 for the screening and $12 for each session.
Youths are required to pay for the treatment and must provide documentation
that the money used is their own. Scholarships are available if needed.

"Even if they don't have the ability to pay, don't let that keep you from
referring them," Fleming said. "We have many families like that."