A community and school approach to drug prevention and early intervention with high risk elementary school children

This study examines the effectiveness of a primary drug prevention/early intervention counseling program for elementary school children. The program, sponsored by a community drug treatment and prevention agency, assists children in acquiring social skills, reducing behavioral problems, and increasing academic success. The program is currently implemented in targeted public schools in Northeast Florida. It is a model which demonstrates the effectiveness of a community and school alliance in positively impacting social skills and behavioral correlates leading to adolescent drug experimentation. Results of the study indicate that the counseling program significantly impacted behavioral problems such as Acting Out, Immaturity, and Distractibility as measured by the Walker Problem Behavior Checklist. Some improvements were also noted in the children's self-concept, particularly in perceptions of peer acceptance, as measured by the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale.