OSWEGO – Adolescence can be a challenging time. Many struggle with issues such as depression, peer pressure, bullying, personal and family relationships, and academic pressure. For some, these may lead to alcohol and substance use.
The staff at Farnham Family Services understands these challenges and offers school-based preventative services to help adolescents cope with these issues and improve their quality of life without the use of alcohol and other substances.
Farnham’s school-based prevention program has student assistance counselors available for grades K-12 in Oswego County schools and CiTi BOCES. Using an evidence based curriculum, these counselors provide one on one and group prevention counseling for students using substances on school premises or have significant risk factors such as substance use by family members or guardians.
While the majority of students are referred by teachers, principals, and guidance counselors that have interactions with and identify a need, some students are referred by parents or reach out on their own to speak with counselors. When counselors initially meet with students they offer a full assessment and work on establishing a plan that will increase protective factors and prevent or reduce substance use.
“Our counselors offer short term intervention focused on harm reduction,” said Farnham Prevention Services Director Candy Herbert. “Students generally meet with a counselor once a week. Counseling sessions usually last a couple months and come to a mutual ending upon achieving the students’ goals of better attendance, improved grades, and no longer receiving referrals. While sessions may end, youth are always welcome to reach out to us whenever they feel the need.”
Farnham Family Services’ Teen Intervene is a brief intervention that is 3-sessions (each session lasting approximately 60 minutes) individual therapy model for use with teenagers (12-19 years old) who are suspected of experiencing mild or moderate problems associated with alcohol or other drug use. Conversations revolve around why they are using substances and how often they use these substances. The third session offers an opportunity for parents and guardians to be included as well if the student agrees. If during the course of the intervention it is deemed beneficial, students are referred either for prevention counseling from one of Farnham’s student assistance counselors or for treatment counseling at one of Farnham’s clinics.
Another aspect of Farnham’s school-based prevention program is the opportunity for the counselors to address students at assemblies, gym classes or health classes. The theme of these presentations is not specific to substances. It’s about social and emotional learning, harm reduction, and supporting protective factors and wellness.
The Seven Challenges ®
One of Farnham’s most recent additions to its adolescent services, The Seven Challenges ®, is a counseling program that incorporates work on alcohol and other substance problems. Designed to motivate clients, The Seven Challenges ® encourages participants to evaluate their lives and consider the changes they would like to make.
“We realized a need for a specific evidence based program that focused on the needs of our adolescent population,” said Herbert. “The Seven Challenges ® is unique in that we wrap the program around the concerns of the adolescents we serve. While counselors provide a structure for the group and individual sessions, the content is flexible in its response to the immediate needs of the student. Counselors teach them to work on their issues. As students do their work, the ‘challenge process’ is used to help them make thoughtful decisions, including about substances.”
The Seven Challenges ® program challenges participants to:
– Open up and talk honestly about themselves and about alcohol and other substances.
– Look at what they liked about alcohol and other substances, and why they were using them.
– Look at their use of alcohol or other substances to see if it has caused harm or could cause harm.
– Look at their responsibility and the responsibility of others for their problems.
– Think about where they seemed to be headed, where they want to go, and what they want to accomplish.
– Make thoughtful decisions about their lives and about their use of alcohol and other substances.
– Follow through on their decisions about their lives and substance use.
An important aspect of The Seven Challenges ® is the adolescents’ use of a journal. Adolescents are able to share their thoughts on topics discussed during group sessions with the counselors though journaling. In turn, the counselor responds in the journal. The journaling process gives adolescents, especially those that would prefer not to talk and share their thoughts in front of their peers, an opportunity to say what they need to say in a safe, non-threatening way.
“Being an Evidence Based program the benefits to participants in The Seven Challenges ® are many,” said Herbert. “Studies have shown the efficacy of The Seven Challenges ®. It has been proven to:
– Improve client engagement with holistic counseling by balancing work on substance use and other problems.
– Help clients identify and clarify their own issues and concerns and understand them in the context of life circumstances.
– Promote self-awareness and teach decision-making skills
– Increase emotional literacy by teaching about trusting & respectful relationships and building resilience in the face of setbacks.
– Support plans for success and individualizes relapse prevention.
– Help clients take power over their lives, including use of alcohol and other substances.
– Provide counseling without shame, blame or stigma.
The Seven Challenges ® program is both clinical and school based. Adolescents receiving treatment at one of Farnham’s clinics are given the option to participate in The Seven Challenges ®. When held in the school The Seven Challenges ® is provided per student need as assessed by the student assistance counselor that is able to provide the program. Currently Farnham has two preventative and four clinical staff trained to provide The Seven Challenges ®.
The presence of Farnham’s school-based preventative services and the accessibility of its student assistance counselors are viewed as a welcome addition that has proven to be very beneficial to students.
“We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from teachers and school officials,” said Herbert. “They appreciate that our counselors are there and are able to have conversations with students about alcohol, tobacco and substance use. Our school-based prevention program helps increase protective factors, reduces risk factors that lead to substance use, violence, and delinquency, and fosters resiliency in Oswego County schools. Anytime we can give students a neutral and non-judgmental person to speak to about substance use, the reasons why, and provide them with coping skills it’s a win!”
Farnham Family Services is dedicated to reducing and eliminating the abuse of alcohol and other drugs in Oswego County. For more information on Farnham Family Services and its programs visit www.farnhaminc.org.
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