Anti-drug ministry gives kids a way to cope

Modern American society isn't such a great place to be, if you are a young person.

The staff of the Albany Diocesan Drug Education Ministry (ADDEM) has found that the youth they work with confront more challenges and face more pressures than did youth of previous generations.

"You can't even compare generations," said Eileen Davenport, associate director of prevention services. "The world is a much different place. They have a harder time."

Family changes

Mrs. Davenport said the disintegration of the family is one of the biggest changes in society, and its effect on young people can be great.

Jeanne Cote, director of ADDEM, agrees, noting: "Children are growing up faster. They take up more adult responsibilities because their parents are working."

While it is convenient for adults to have young people function on their own, the effects on the younger generation can be negative, including loneliness, stress and poor communication skills.

While the stress can be great for two-parent families, it is even worse for single-parent families. "Single-parent families are at risk," Mrs. Davenport said. "If a two-parent family is stressed, how can a single parent provide enough family time?"

Support

Believing in the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child," the staff of ADDEM encourages young people to find a trusted adult to go to for guidance.

"Children want an adult to talk to," Mrs. Cote said. "They wish it was their parents." She tells teens "to find someone you feel comfortable with, a trusted adult to talk to. Don't stop until you find one."

To help make that search easier, the ADDEM staff is trying to reach as many teachers as they can. By training teachers in communication skills and self-esteem development, they hope the results will overflow into the classroom. In the past, ADDEM has held training for teachers from several different schools. This year, it is changing its approach and training whole schools of teachers. Not only does the training help further staff relationships, but it also makes it easier for young people to find a trusted adult in their own community.

Fitting in

Young people are also searching for a way to be needed. Part of the development of this age group is fitting in.

"It has been eternal that young people want to belong," Mrs. Cote said. "That's one reason why there are gangs."

Mrs. Cote urges teens to find a club or service organization that needs assistance and offer their help in order to meet their need to belong.

Violence and drugs

It is also more difficult to be a young person today due to the increase in violence and the availability of more potent drugs, say the ADDEM leaders. According to Mrs. Davenport, marijuana available today is more potent to the marijuana that was available in the 1960s.

As for violence, teens are "afraid," said Mrs. Davenport. "They don't have a safe place."

Sister Sue Wieczynski, RSM, prevention educator agreed. "Even sixth graders say this to me." She added that it's not just street violence young people are afraid of; domestic violence is also a big fear.

Other concerns of young people include school pressure, finding money for college, and worrying if they'll even be able to get a job after college.

Surviving

According to Mrs. Cote, it's possible for children to survive dysfunctional and violent homes. "Some kids are resilient. They come from these backgrounds and they can be strong," she said.

But those without resiliency end up with poor self-esteem and depression, which can lead to other problems, including substance abuse, pregnancy and violence.

The prevention model that ADDEM uses stresses self-esteem, communication skills, assertiveness, stress prevention and drug information. The development of those skills not only helps students resist drug use, including alcohol, but reduces violence, teen pregnancy and other symptoms of poor self-esteem.

Teen involvement

ADDEM's program utilizes teens. Teams of high school students are trained to go into elementary schools to work with the younger students. "Our program is peers helping peers. It's students taking peer pressure and making it positive," Mrs. Cote said.

The ADDEM peer program was recognized by New York State for its effectiveness and is considered a model program.

Not only does the peer program provide elementary school students with positive role models, but it also provides high school students with leadership skills and the opportunity to belong.

Help for parents

Besides the teacher training and peer leadership programs, ADDEM has begun to offer parenting classes, support for parishes, conflict mediation workshops and three curricula. It also presents a Teen Institute in the summer and brings teams of teens to the Christian Leadership Institute, sponsored by the diocesan Office of Religious Education.

Does it work?

While prevention is difficult to gauge the success of, Mrs. Cote believes that the enthusiasm of the young people she is working with is an indication of success.

"It is difficult trying to measure what is NOT happening," she said, "and prevention is about stopping something from happening. We do know that as prevention programs are cut, abuse goes up. It is related."

(ADDEM, a part of the Catholic School Office, is governed by an Advisory Board. )

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