School-Based Early Intervention Program: Bridges offers a school-based
early intervention program in the three middle schools in Milford.
In this program, a clinician facilitates several groups for adolescents
at high risk of developing a substance abuse problem. Consultation
with school personnel is also offered.
The Middle School Substance
Abuse Prevention Program is designed to provide prevention and early
intervention to middle school youth. Participation in the
program is voluntary and provided in a group format. Services are
provided to all three middle schools in Milford.
The program offers three different types of groups which are offered
to all students. The groups are targeted to students who are affected
by someone else’s substance use, students who are feeling pressure
to begin using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and for students
who are currently using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and would
like to stop. The groups begin in October and run weekly until
the end of May.
The funding comes through the Milford Board of Education, which
channels a Federal grant, Safe and Drug Free Schools, to Bridges
on a contractual basis.
The goals of this program are as follows:
- To prevent tobacco, alcohol and other drug use among middle
and high school students by learning effective ways of coping
with peer pressure and utilizing refusal skills.
- To delay the
onset of tobacco, alcohol and other drug use/experimentation
by educating the students to the physical, emotional and social
consequences of using substances.
- To reduce tobacco, alcohol
and drug consumption among middle school students who are already
using alcohol and/or other drugs, by assisting them with examining
the reasons for their use and helping them to make better choices.
- To improve student attendance and academic performance.
- To
promote team building and the use of effective problem solving
skills.
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