Prevention and brief intervention therapy for schools and colleges

When we speak about the substance use disorder, what really works is prevention and early intervention. Drug prevention means Life promotion. It is to reduce risk factors and promote protective factors. Drug prevention is mainly on developing a conducive atmosphere and attitude among the children and youth, so that they will not feel the need for drugs or alcohol.  Our prevention programs aim at giving positive energy, outlook and skills for a productive life that is rewarding. In ARCO we address Prevention from two specific targets

1. Students (School and College)
2. Corporate sector (Employees of the corporate sectors)

Students level programs:
Students level programs are again classified as school based and College based, based on their age factors.
The three areas of intervention common to both age groups would be:

1. Awareness building
2. Capacity building
3. Therapeutic assistance (Early or brief intervention) 

Awareness building: Since ARCO is a web based program, we will be conducting free webinars among teachers, students and parents on various topics related to SUD prevention program from time to time.  Other programs suggested were activity oriented approaches like conducting national or international level online competitions like slogans, poems,  photography, painting, etc on SUD prevention topics as well as on wellness topics which can involve several children or youth. ARCO will conduct free webinars and awareness programs for the schools and assist the Institutions with training and therapeutic support.

Capacity building programs: ARCO’s capacity building programs are targeted on  teachers from selected schools who will be trained in the selected curriculums in Universal Treatment or Prevention Curriculums (UTC/UPC) with a certification, covering topics like understanding Substances which are commonly abused, addiction as a brain disease, stages and symptoms, science of addiction as well as basic knowledge and skills in identifying children or youth in the risk groups, basic counselling skills, etc. This will help teachers to identify students with issues with drugs or alcohol and refer them for early intervention at a confidential environment.

Therapeutic assistance: The therapeutic services for schools will include screening and assessment, therapy planning, individual counselling to the students and their parents, and developing a goal setting and career guidance program too. The therapy assistance is provided to those students or their parents in schools or identified youngsters from colleges based on their referrals.
For students from Schools, it is mandatory that their parents also involve  in the therapy programs. It is better to address issues at an early stage than waiting to progress addiction. Remember, prevention means also therapeutic intervention for those in risk groups.  Reduction of Risk factors and increase of protective factors are central to the prevention programs in schools. (This would be a paid service).
This will be treated as prevention counselling and children, even if they are initiated to the drugs will be given this intervention without the taboo of being labelled and with full confidentiality. We will not be able to help the children unless we receive the necessary and timely support from the school management and their parents. Online therapy for adolescents or children demands parental endorsement.
Screening and Assessment, Individual counselling with CBT techniques for both the students and parents will be part of this program.

In colleges, the approach will be peer led intervention strategy, where it may be difficult to involve the parents or teachers as effectively as in schools. So, students leaders  from specially social work or Psychology courses will be specially targeted for training in the Certificate programs, where as awareness building and the therapeutic intervention will target the students community directly with the help of the management support and a designated teacher.
We invite schools and colleges to register with us for our ongoing services from trained and qualified therapists who are internationally certified.