Communities That Care (CTC)
Life Skills Training
Preparing for the Drug Free Years/Families That Care: Guiding Good Choices
Strong Parents Actively Raising Kids Safely (SPARKS)

Communities That Care (CTC) is a risk-focused approach to reducing adolescent problem behaviors through community mobilization and planning throughout the Norristown area. Local citizens and community leaders work together to identify the risk factors that increase the likelihood of problem behaviors developing, and enhance the protective factors that can shield youngsters from problems. The risk and protective factors are used to implement a comprehensive plan to step ahead of the problems with far-reaching and long-lasting solutions.

The Norristown CTC for Youth Risk and Resource Assessment identified three priority risk factors that may lead youth to adopt problem behaviors: family management; favorable attitudes toward the problem behavior; and early and persistent antisocial behavior. In response to these risk factors, the Norristown Area CTC for Youth Prevention Plan includes the implementation of Life Skills, Preparing for the Drug Free Years, SPARKS, Preparing for School Success, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters Teen Mentoring.

For more information, please call Angela Bell, Esq., CTC community mobilizer, at 610-630-2111, ext. 236.

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LifeSkills Training is a substance abuse prevention program for elementary and middle school students based on more than 20 years of scientific research. The program addresses the underlying causes of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use.

The middle school curriculum consists of 30 class sessions that last 45 minutes each, which are conducted over three years. The program may be taught as an intensive mini-series (consecutively every day or two-to-three times a week), or on a more extended schedule (such as once a week). Both formats are equally effective.

LifeSkills Training provides students with the skills needed to avoid high-risk behaviors. The program strengthens students’ abilities in three critical domains:

• Drug Resistance Skills —For building defenses against tobacco, alcohol and other drugs
• Personal Self-Management Skills — For enhancing self-esteem, teaching creative problem solving, reducing stress and anxiety, and managing anger
• General Social Skills — For meeting personal challenges, such as overcoming shyness, communicating clearly, building friendships and avoiding violence

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Families That Care: Guiding Good Choices is a national model substance abuse prevention program that utilizes a five-week curriculum to assist parents in preparing their children to make positive decisions. The curriculum includes discussions on developmental stages and other factors that put children at risk for unhealthy choices. It emphasizes the importance of setting clear guidelines and consequences, coaching children on ways to avoid peer pressure and managing family conflict in a way that maintains strong family bonds.

For more information, please call Alissa McBride, CTC community prevention coordinator, at 610-630-2111, ext. 239.

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Strong Parents Actively Raising Kids Safely (SPARKS) uses brief strategic family therapy to help individuals increase their family's strengths while improving cooperation and communication.

Through SPARKS, children will increase:
o Bonding to family
o Positive self-concept
o Positive transition into adolescence
o Problem-solving skills
o Good school attendance, conduct and achievement

Through SPARKS, families will increase:
o Appropriate levels of parental involvement youth, their school and peers
o Effective parental leadership and behavior management
o Effective parent-child communication
o Effective family conflict resolution, problem solving and decision-making skills
o Appropriate parental support and family cohesiveness
o Effective parenting skills in managing youths' peer relations

SPARKS is available to families who live in the Norristown Area School District at no charge. For more information, call Maris Menin, LSW, MSW, SPARKS family counseling coordinator, at 610-630-2111, ext. 260.

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