The school-based intervention

Anna Borucka, Agnieszka Pisarska, Katarzyna Okulicz-Kozaryn

Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology Warsaw

Presented by: Boguslawa Bukowska

Cards 2004 , component 2: National Drug Control Strategy: identification of priorities, designing and

implementation of priority projects including training

of relevant staff, Zagreb

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The school-based intervention for students

using drug

From 2005 project is in EDDRA base

http://eddra.emcdda.europa.eu/pls/eddra/showQuest?Prog_ID=6196

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Inspiration and sources

School-based intervention

method

Brief intervention method toward alcohol abusing

adults

Increase in drug use among

adolescents and lack

of school’s procedures to solve

these problems

Changes in the educational system

in Poland Expectations

of teachers andeducators

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Intervention goals

Supporting and helping students and their parents

in solving problems by:

delivering information

Common activity and proposing particular intervention procedure

Preventing the development of the problems related to drug use at school by:

introducing the intervention method into school prevention system

applying it consequently in all cases of drug use by students

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Intervention elementsDiagnosis: to plan an adequate activities

toward a drug using student

Advice: to clear school standpointand encourage student to take part

in further intervention activities

Contract: to enhance students’ motivation to change his/her behavior

Contract monitoring: to support the positive changes in student’s

behaviour

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Contract monitoring(sharing information

between school and parents)

Teacher-student-parentstalk

(student accepts and negotiates

the contract)

Teacher-student -talk

(diagnosis, advice)

Intervention activities

Teacher-parentstalk

(diagnosis, advice, working-out the contract)

How the school – based intervention is implemented in

schools?

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Assumtions concerning the implementation of school – based intervention

Multiphases process which requires: Introducing changes which are

systemic in character, Undertaken the decision by the

faculty concerning the implementation of the method

Motivating the teachers to develop their proffessional competencies

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Stage I – Initition

The assessment of motivation for changes’ introduction by individual interviews with chosen school representatives – head master, teacher,parents, students

Investigating former intervention activities

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Stage II – training (4 – hour workshop)

Conducting 4-hour workshop for committee of teachers with the following aims:

to strenghten the need of school preventive strategy

to create a team leading changes to present the school – based intervention to broaden the knowledge of drug use phases to discuss legal issues of school’s regulation

related to drug use by students

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Stage II– training (10 hour workshop)

Preparing of chosen school staff members to hold intervention:

Health and social consequences of drug use

Comunication in conflict situationIntervention know–how and step by

step process focused on practical exercises

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Stage III - Evaluation (June - December 2002)

Evaluation goals

Assessment of the school-based intervention method

implementation

Assessment of the intervention method

usefulness

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Data analysis

Data base: individual and focus group interviews, workshops’ reports, school documents (statutes, signed contracts)

Data analysis: the list of descriptive codesgradual selection of data (coding by three

independent judges) ascribing numeric indicators to the codes

concerning intervention activities

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Implementation of intervention method elements (N=34)Consistent withthe principles

N Not consistent with theprinciples

N

Interventionaim

To help a studentand their parents 20

To investigate and punish a„guilty” student Aim unknown

14

Problem Occasional orregular drug use

20

Problem behaviourssyndrome (i. e. regularalcohol drinking + truancy)Conflicts among classmatesor a teacher and students 14

Interventiontalks

At last two individualtalks (+ possible talkparents–teacher-student)

28

Only one individual talk oronly teacher-parent-studenttalk.In case class of conflictsonly group meeting

6

Proposal ofthe contract

Yes 17 No 17

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Three groups of interventions

Successful (N=15): • persistent change of behaviour,

• lack of evidence of further breaking schools’ rules

Ambivalent (N=12):• toward a group of students one student + /another -

• problem behaviours syndrome one behaviour + /another - • pending intervention or with unknown results

Failure (N=7): • no positive or short-term effects or • partial positive changes in behaviour

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Usefulness of the method

12,3

9,2

7,5

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

intervention groups mea

n co

nsis

tenc

y w

ith

the

met

hod'

s pr

inci

ples

successfulinterventions (N=15)

interventions withunknown orambivalent effects(N=12)

faile interventions(N=7)

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Effectiveness

The analysis shows that the more elements of the intervention

goal – support and assistance,

problem – using psychoactive substance,

Talking to parents and children ,

proposal of contract

the more likely the achieving the desired results

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Conclusions:

1. School-based intervention method can be useful for school staff and is suitable for their potential skills in great part.

2. Teachers’ helping skills (focus on giving support, empathy, making and keeping a contact) are essential.

3. Intervention implementation is easier in supportive school environment

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Conclusions:

4. Effective application of the school-based intervention method requires:

focus on student occasionally using drugsco-operation with parentscontract monitoring and supporting parents

and student in obeying the contract rulesco-operation between school and external

institutions able to give more comprehensive help for students using drugs.

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Our recommendations

Intervention should be taken not only in the situation of using psychoactive substance but also in the case of suspicion of taking drugs

Perceiving of non constructive parents’ behaviour and pupils as defence mechanisms

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Our recommendations contd

Perceiving as a success not only the final result but also the fact of undertaking the intrevention regarding pupils

Abandoning both the investigation as well as establishing and punishing the perpetrators.

Team work among the members of the faculty.

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Bibliography Borucka, A., Kocoń, K. (2003). Interwencja w szkole, Remedium 7-8(125-126), 10-13. Borucka, A., Okulicz-Kozaryn, K., Pisarska, A. (2003). Ocena przydatności i

funkcjonowania metody interwencji profilaktycznej w szkole. Medycyna Wieku Rozwojowego, t.VII, 157-172.

Okulicz-Kozaryn, K., Pisarska, A., Borucka, A. (2003). Szkolna interwencja wobec uczniów sięgających po substancje psychoaktywne. Serwis Informacyjny Narkomania, 3 (22), 27-34.

Okulicz-Kozaryn, K., Borucka, A., Pisarska, A. (2003). Wprowadzenie do szkół metody interwencji wobec ucznia sięgającego po środki psychoaktywne – bariery we współpracy z rodzicami i ich pokonywanie. Medycyna Wieku Rozwojowego, t.VII, 173-192.

Pisarska, A., Jakubowska, L. (2004). Interwencja profilaktyczna w odbiorze uczniów. Remedium, 5 (135), s. 1-3.

Pisarska, A., Jakubowska, L. (2004). Szkolna interwencja w odbiorze uczniów. W: A. Szymanowska (red.), Alkohol a zachowania problemowe młodzieży. Opinie i badania, s. 46-53. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Edukacyjne PARPA.

Borucka A., Pisarska A., Okulicz-Kozaryn K.: (2005): Szkolna interwencja profilaktyczna Profilaktyka w szkole. Poradnik dla nauczyciela. Centrum Metodyczne Pomocy Psychologiczno-Pedagogicznej. Warszawa, 52-67.

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Badania w działaniu

Schools recruitmentN=11

2 primary, 6 junior high 3 secondary

Training for:the faculties (N=450)

selected teachers.(N=70)

Methods in practice

Diagnosis of situation in schoolsIndividual interviews

Analysis of training reports

Analysis of: School documents (statutes, contracts)

Information form group interviews