Nov 24 2009
Training for Effective Substance Misuse Education
A couple of weeks ago we delivered in Highland a brand spanking new course in ‘Substance Misuse Prevention and Education’. The delegate group was a good mix of Secondary / Primary Teachers, Youth Workers, Health Promoting Schools Officers and Social Work Staff. All delegates will be involved in delivering substance misuse education to groups of young people in their areas which spans the whole of the Highland Council area.
I thought it might be helpful to post up on my little site some of the aspects of the course and the web resources we highighlighted. If you would like the full evaluation please contact me on http://scr.im/good Big thanks go to my co-pilot John Merralls from the Highland Youth Action Team. Above all else, we wanted folk to come away from this course feeling confident to deliver effective education to young people across all ages and stages, using key principles and Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes as the stimulus for planning activities.
The whole day used active learning methods, heaps of discussion, case studies, handouts, web resources and brain friendly techniques. We planned each section on four main themes – knowledge, evidence for effective education, resources and support (local and national). We are very lucky in Highland to have the Health Information Resources Library and a great selection of materials, leaflets and posters were made available for all delegates, every NHS board in the UK should have one if you check with them.
Enjoy the following extracts from the evaluation, for me the most interesting bit is the evidence base provided through existing research for effective education and how our dynamic group added to this.
Aim of the course – To provide participants with the knowledge and increased awareness of substance misuse prevention and education to be able to confidently deliver to children and young people in school community settings
Learning Outcomes – Participants will…..
- be aware of the current evidence for effective approaches for substance misuse education.
- will be able to critically appraise educational resources
- have considered current trends & issues regarding substance misuse and it’s impact on society
- will have explored attitudes and values to substance misuse
- be able to define a range of substances and know their legal classifications
- have an increased knowledge of local support services for childen, young people and adults.
Content
Morning Session – Knowledge
- Cocktail Party walkabout discussing Professor Nutt, mingling & meeting
- Group Agreement, creating the right climates for effective delivery
- Brainstorming different drugs – Identification
- Drugs and the Legal classifications
- Activities that can be used with young people for identification
Morning Session (After Break) – Evidence
- Just Say No (Grange Hill Song Video clip) (why this wasn’t an effective message)
- Dusenbury and Falco (1995) 11 points for effective SU education,
- Evaluation of drug education in Scotland (McNeil and Stradling 2005)
- Curriculum for Excellence, background and developments
- National and local data of usage amongst young people
- Substance Misuse trends
- Normative Education
Afternoon Session – Resources
- Polarized debate about need for education in two groups (Attitudes and Values)
- Introduction to Highland Health Information Resources Service
- Web Resources for professionals for educational resources (live demo)
- Referring resources back to effective education principles.
- Active Learning methods for Health and Wellbeing education.
- National and local strategy
Afternoon Sessions (After Break) – Support Services
- Impacts on society
- Examination of 2 case studies in groups (Attitudes and Values and examining local support services)
- Group activities using resources to plan sessions with young people based on CFE Experiences and Outcomes and effective education principles
- Q & A and closing
- Evaluation
Website Resources Promoted
- www.knowthescore.info (Scottish site for professionals, young people and parents)
- www.talktofrank.com (All the Pablo adverts and interactive basement)
- www.snapy.org.uk (Scottish National Alcohol Practitioners for Young)
- www.healthpromotingschools.co.uk (resources and search on drugs)
- www.sharedresponsibility.gov.co Cocaine production in Colombia Educational Resource
- www.re-solv.org Volatile Substance Abuse Educational Resources
- www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk Scottish Charity dedicated to raising awareness of alcohol issues)
- www.alcoholdebate.com Everything you need to know about drinking, Scottish Government)
- www.nelsonthornes.com (What’s the Score Resource) Education materials for purchase
- www.sdf.org.uk Scottish Drugs Forum, working to reduce drugs harm in Scotland.
- www.hvlc.org.uk Highland Virtual learning Community – copies of guidance for incidents
- www.highland-adp.org.uk Home of Highland Alcohol and Drug Partnership, links to local forums
- www.urban75.com/drugs Online Resource of Drug Information.
- www.scdea.police.uk Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency
Educational Materials Highlighted
- Drug Box (available for loan via Youth Action Team, Northern Constabulary or HADP)
- Alcohol Dilemmas Game (given to delegates available from HADP)
- Unit Measure Guide Cup (given to delegates available via HADP)
- Drug Fact Game (available via HIRS)
- Drugwise (Fact Game available via HIRS)
- Gym bag provided by HDAP for all resources / handouts.
Principles for Effective Education (re-created using mindmeister from flip chart notes)
This was added to with the following points from discussion through examination of the key points from the 2005 McNeil & Stradling review.
- Must promote a sense of self-efficacy
- Learning must be recognised
- Delivered by trained and approved staff
- Considers background knowledge
- Uses current media (i.e Pablos Basement and Talk To Frank videos)
- Through School Development Plans, set out time for planning
- Young People involved in setting out program
- Must be unbiased
- Have the latest accurate information
- Time relevant
- Contextual to local areas and national picture
- Must be delivered in the context of curriculum for excellence
- Enhanced by expressive arts and wider Highland events such as Choices for Life
- Support from local authority for professionals
- Include a broad skill mix Includes social resistance skills / practical emergency skills
Finally! Here’s some evaluative comments from the delegates, I hope you found this post useful, if so please leave me a comment!
Evaluation (Flip Chart Post It’s)
What shone?
- I really enjoyed linking the experiences and outcomes to ideas of good practice. It made it real all come together
- Fab and Fab
- Web address resources
- Good handouts and useful reading
- Liked the case studies.
- Real stories
- Stimulating to cover lots of topics and meet others with different background.
- Ability to network
- Case studies
- Interactive approach
- Awareness of local and national initiatives
- Great ethos
- Up to date information
- Websites appreciated
- Useful handouts and resources
- Super day
- Lots of sharing of knowledge
- Good activities to try
- Been given lots of information and resource source / ideas
- Examples of working with young people
What could be changed?
- Would like more time to do games for pupils (last exercises)
- Would have liked more time for last exercise (design) my favourite
- More of the last session – FAB!
- Take out the session on the names of drugs
- Would have liked guidance on how to run a group
- Would like to see more activities like the last one, very useful for school
- I found one group exercise too different (cause = effect)
- More time on different drugs and how to discuss these with young people.
