"Dancing with change": evaluating an ecosystemic substance abuse intervention programme for youth

• Main Author: Ashdown, Deborah Anne
• Other Authors: Kruger, Diederik Johannes
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: South African context; programme facilitation skills; lessons learnt; resilience; best practice; adolescent drug abuse; adolescent substance abuse; Ecosystemic approach; Intervention; prevention; programme evaluation; school-based; 362.290835; Evaluation research (Social action programs) > South Africa; Substance abuse > Treatment > South Africa > Evaluation; Family psychotherapy > South Africa; Drug abuse counseling > South Afric; Drug abuse > South Africa > Prevention; Youth > Psychology; Drug abusers > Family relationships > South Africa; Youth > Drug use > South Africa > Prevention; Youth > Drug use > South Africa > Rehabilitation; Youth > Substance use > South Africa > Prevention; Drug abusers > Rehabilitation > South Africa; Adolescent psychotherapy > South Africa; Adolescent psychotherapy > Parent participation > South Africa; Systemic therapy (Family therapy) > South Africa; Self-actualization (Psychology) in adolescence > South Africa
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10500/1649

The "Dancing with Change" Programme (DWCP) is an ecosystemically informed substance abuse intervention programme that was developed by the participants and myself with the aim of building resilience towards substance abuse among youth. The DWCP was conducted in the school setting, with ten volunteer Grade 7 learners over a ten-week period for an hour a week. The learners' parents participated in an initial needs assessment and in a feedback session at the end of DWCP, together with the life skills teacher and headmaster who observed and contributed to the process. An independent observer, present at each session, served to increase the dependability and confirmability of the evaluation findings. The DWCP appeared to have achieved its goals as defined by the participants. The evaluation findings are presented as a guide for people working in the field of adolescent substance abuse that synthesises best practice and lessons learnt in the field. === Psychology === M.A.(Clinical Psychology)