RELEASE: October 17, 2005

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Human Services announces $1.2 million expansion of substance abuse prevention into school based programs Part of state's ongoing child welfare reform effort

TRENTON — As part of New Jersey 's ongoing child welfare reform effort, Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner James M. Davy announced today a $1.2 million expansion of substance abuse prevention programs into the successful School Based Youth Services Program (SBYSP).

“This expansion will enable New Jersey to keep more children away from the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse,” said Commissioner Davy. “More importantly, it will enable children and their parents to become active participants in each others lives- thus bringing them closer together.”

Currently, there are school based programs in 55 high schools, 13 middle schools and three K-8 schools around the state. Each site addresses the core services of health, mental health and vocational assistance for at-risk children in the school. They also provide crisis counseling, after-school activities and other supportive services that can be tailored to meet an individual student's needs.

“SBYSP has a proven track record of helping students going through rough times – family situations, abuse, problems in academics or peer pressure,” said Commissioner Davy. “By expanding our efforts to include their families, we can prevent things like substance and child abuse that rip families apart.”

Research has shown that substance abuse has a direct correlation to children being abused. According to DYFS, 33 percent of all substantiated abuse/neglect cases each year involve at least one caregiver with a known substance abuse problem.

Part of the prevention efforts includes the expansion of the Family Empowerment Program (FEP) from four to eight SBYSP high schools. The FEP incorporates a family systems specialist who works closely with the family by providing intensive professional counseling. In addition, a community resource specialist arranges services in the local community to meet the child and family's individual needs.

The FEP expansion includes new programs at Atlantic City , Bridgeton , JFK in Paterson and Plainfield High Schools . The expansion is funded through $1 million in TANF funds specifically designated for substance abuse prevention in high risk youth and families.

Another expansion involves incorporating the Division of Addiction Services' (DAS) Strengthening Families program into the 13 middle school SBYSP programs. This will be funded at an annual cost of $263,000.

Through Strengthening Families, parents learn new parenting skills and build better relationships with their children. In addition, clear communication with children is stressed as well as discipline and setting limits. Youth learn how to cope with anger and stress, resisting peer pressure and developing social skills.

“I have met dozens of families that have successfully completed the Strengthening Families program,” explained Commissioner Davy. “Just watching the parents and children interact shows the impact of the program on their lives and how it strengthened their relationships with one another.”

DAS and its community providers will also provide training seminars for the high school and middle school SBYSP on identifying signs and symptoms of substance abuse. Prevention efforts will also be expanded to involve more school faculty who work with at-risk youth as well as training on substance abuse screening and assessment tools for adolescents.

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