Back to the basics: identifying positive youth development as the theoretical framework for a youth drug prevention program in rural Saskatchewan, Canada amidst a program evaluation

Abstract

BackgroundDespite endorsement by the Saskatchewan government to apply empirically-based approaches to youth drug prevention services in the province, programs are sometimes delivered prior to the establishment of evidence-informed goals and objectives. This paper shares the 'preptory’ outcomes of our team’s program evaluation of the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region Mental Health and Addiction Services’ Outreach Worker Service (OWS) in eight rural, community schools three years following its implementation. Before our independent evaluation team could assess whether expectations of the OWS were being met, we had to assist with establishing its overarching program goals and objectives and 'at-risk’ student population, alongside its alliance with an empirically-informed theoretical framework.MethodsA mixed-methods approach was applied, beginning with in-depth focus groups with the OWS staff to identify the program’s goals and objectives and targeted student population. These were supplemented with OWS and school administrator interviews and focus groups with school staff. Alignment with a theoretical focus was determined though a review of the OWS’s work to date and explored in focus groups between our evaluation team and the OWS staff and validated with the school staff and OWS and school administration.ResultsWith improved understanding of the OWS’s goals and objectives, our evaluation team and the OWS staff aligned the program with the Positive Youth Development theoretical evidence-base, emphasizing the program’s universality, systems focus, strength base, and promotion of assets. Together we also gained clarity about the OWS’s definition of and engagement with its 'at-risk’ student population.ConclusionsIt is important to draw on expert knowledge to develop youth drug prevention programming, but attention must also be paid to aligning professional health care services with a theoretically informed evidence-base for evaluation purposes. If time does not permit for the establishment of evidence-informed goals and objectives at the start-up of a program, obtaining insight and expertise from program personnel and school staff and administrators can bring the program to a point where this can still be achieved and theoretical linkages made after a program has been implemented. This is a necessary foundation for measuring an intervention’s success.

Recursos del Desarrollo en la Adolescencia – Revisión Integrativa

“…Nestes estudos, os dados recolhidos da capacidade individual e de desempenho do programa sugerem que a capacidade dos profi ssionais prevê, em parte, o desempenho de programas de prevenção, verifi cando-se que a utilização da intervenção de suporte à implementação AGTO produziu melhorias na capacidade dos profi ssionais e consequentemente no desempenho do programa. Dell et al (2013) exploraram a aplicabilidade e utilidade do modelo de Recursos do Desenvolvimento na identifi cação de metas e objetivos de um programa, notando a importância da atenção em alinhar os serviços dos profi ssionais de saúde com um modelo teórico baseado na evidência para fi ns de avaliação, constituindo uma base necessária para medir o sucesso de uma intervenção.…”

Roles of Social Support and Social Control for Coping Resources to Prevent Drug Abuse Among Children

“…Unwanted social controls can disrupt the convenience of someone, then it can impact of poor behavioral management and health risks (Scott & Carrington, 2016). Research on family relationships suggests that adolescents who give negative respond to support and discipline from parent will have negative psychological impact that allows their association to other adolescent groups at risk of substance abuse (Dell, et al, 2013).…”

A Faith-Based Hypertension Control Program for African American Communities: Program

“…Our intervention, Healthy Eating and Living Spiritually (HEALS), modified from PREMIER (including DASH diets), is a faith-based, socio-culturally tailored multi-level behavioral lifestyle intervention for HTN control and prevention among AA adult congregations. We have adopted a bottom-up approach to HEALS intervention development that focuses on clinical experience to maximize the relevance of the intervention and attends to how a program will be applied in real-world settings from its inception [16,17]. The bottom-up approach also provides the opportunity to revise and improve interventions in real-world settings and align them with recommendations for rigorous testing before undergoing highly controlled efficacy/effectiveness trials.…”