Ginny Connell, from Palmer Drug Abuse Program (PDAP), speaks with Our Ventura TV host, Bob Taylor, about their addiction treatment program for troubled kids.
PDAP’s mission is to ensure recovery and healing for youth with substance abuse problems, provide support for their families, and prevent substance abuse among youth in high-risk environments.
Their goal is to reduce the number of teenagers in Ventura County who abuse alcohol and drugs; to intervene with youth most at risk of serious health, family and legal problems due to substance abuse; and to collaborate with other agencies in fostering healthy life-style choices by youth and in bringing a broad range of services for youth and families into each community.
They provide a non-residential adolescent prevention, intervention and treatment program in local communities throughout Ventura County. The program consists of group, family and individual youth counseling; a weekly teen 12-step recovery meeting; drug-awareness and intervention groups in high schools; parent education and support groups; family case management (in two of the collaborative grant programs); and school or community presentations on substance abuse among youth.
High-risk youth are referred by Juvenile Probation Officers, Juvenile Court Judges, parents, teachers, school counselors, group homes and other community agencies when substance abuse is known or suspected to be a problem.
Counselors (Certified Addiction Treatment Specialists) assess the severity of using patterns and related behaviors, and work with the youth primarily in weekly group sessions. These sessions combine peer discussion of personal experiences of the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol with clear data about the danger, and a combination of support and pressure to change behaviors.
Every effort is made to keep the youth in the program for a minimum of six months, because we have found this to be an essential amount of time to change attitudes and behaviors when the youth are seen only once or twice a week.
Producer: GeorgeAlger.com
Director: Petrina Sharp
Asst. Director: Bill O’Connor
Sponsor: NONPROFIT FIRE, Marketing and Fundraising for Nonprofits
NonProfitFire.org
Sponsor: PJ MURALS, We Paint Your World Beautiful
PJmurals.com
Sponsor: SKYWORKS MARKETING, Performance Advertising
SkyworksMarketing.com