Group Project

1. Jolene Kidwell, Neoma Montgomery, Stan Pruitt Kristiann Summerhill, Drew Rogers, and Denise Young Group Project

2. Youth(1) • 1a. “At Risk Youth can be defined as youth who are exposed to an environment of the five following categories: heightened violence, drugs/alcohol, high unemployment rates, leaving school without learning, early and risky sexual behaviors.” • http://www.theworldyouthmovement.org/uncategorized/world-youth-movement-life-planning-course/ • 1b. In the US, approximately 1 of every 15 teens ages 16 to 19 is a dropout. Many 9th graders are unable to graduate from high school within four years with a regular diploma. There were nearly 1.3 million juvenile arrests in 2006, and almost 93,000 juveniles are in residential placements. Nearly 1 in 6 children live in poverty and almost 1 in 13 live in extreme poverty. Approximately 1 in 9 children has no health insurance. (Children's Defense Fund, 2008)

3. Youth (1) • 1c. This problem affects us all. In 2003, when averaging the total spending of each of the 50 states, the United States spent $22,523 on each prison inmate, and only $8,044 on each K-12 school student. (Children's Defense Fund, 2008) • Children’s Defense Fund. (2008). State of Americas Children 2008 Report. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/state-of-americas-children-2008-report.pdf • Nikki Gland conducted a study of at-risk elementary students and found that achievement seemed to support increased self-esteem and increased self-esteem seemed to support greater achievement. Each promoted the other. • Gland, N. L. (1993). Self-Esteem and Achievement: Case Study of Success with Elementary At-Risk Students. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

4. Youth (2) • A.      How is the problem defined? • All youth have strengths, or positive qualities. All youth can learn new information and skills that make them stronger. Involving youth in their own learning process increases their ability to focus on strengths and allows them to increase self-esteem and meet challenges of life. • Developing new attitudes, skills, and behaviors is the result of individuals and families becoming actively involved in the learning process, not just passive receivers of information. Adults and youth learn better by doing or experiencing. Consider that we remember: • ·         10% of what  we read • ·         20% of what we hear • ·         30% of what we see • ·         50% of what we see and hear • ·         70% of what we see, hear and discuss • ·         90% of what we see, hear, discuss and practice • Dale, E.A. (1969). Audiovisual methods in teaching (3rd ed.) New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston

5. Youth (2) • 1B.      How prevalent is the problem? • In 1995, a statewide needs assessment showed that 93 of 114 Missouri counties wanted programs to strengthen local families. In response, field and state Extension faculty formed the Building Strong Families base program team. A 13-curriculum for adults was implemented in 1997. In 2003 a committee was formed for youth, and 5-curriculum was implemented. • Lillard, Sandi, MSW, LCSW, Facilitating a BSF children’s groa BSF children’s group. Written for the Building Strong Families Program, August 2003. • 1C.      Who does the problem affect? • Youth learn best by being involved in the learning process, thinking about what was learned and then how to apply it to real life situations. This “doing” method is usually more successful than “showing” or “telling” youth how to do something. In fact, the Building Strong Families Curriculum for youth was centered based on the Experiential Learning Model. • ·         Experience—do an activity • ·         Share—discuss the experience by describing what happened • ·          Process—discuss the experience to identify common themes • ·         Generalize—identify principles that can be applied in real-life situations • ·         Apply—use the principles to apply what was learned to another situation • Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential Learning, New York: Prentice-Hall

6. Elderly • 1a. At Risk Senior Citizens can be defined as a population over the age of 65 and who are exposed to the risks involved with aging, including increased health problems and an overall decrease in socialization leading to low morale and homelessness. • Benito-León, J., Louis, E. D., Rivera-Navarro, J., Medrano, M., Vega, S., & Bermejo-Pareja, F. (2010). Low morale is associated with increased risk of mortality in the elderly: a population-based prospective study (NEDICES). Age & Ageing, 39(3), 366-373. doi:10.1093/ageing/afq028 • 1b. Studies have shown that individuals over the age of 55 made up only 8% of the homeless population. The elderly homeless population is expected to increase. The elderly population is expected to double in the next 40 years due. This, along with the relative stability in the proportion of the elderly population facing economic vulnerability is the reason for the increase in homelessness. • “National Alliance to End Homelessness: Library: Demographics of Homelessness Series: The Rising Elderly Population.” National Alliance to End Homelessness.N.p.,1 April 2010.Web.10 July 2011

7. Elderly • 1c. The most recent estimates of individuals over the age of 62 in shelters were 43,350. In 2008 there were approximately 970,000 elderly persons, or 2.6 percent of the elderly population, in deep poverty. • Low morale may be an independent predictor of mortality in the elderly. By utilizing Andy’s Foundation, elderly individuals may increase moral and self esteem which in turn may increase their mortality. • Cox models were used to estimate risk of mortality. Morale was assessed using the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale.

8. Mental Illness • 1a. How is the problem defined? • The problem is defined as being youth at risk, being those individuals between the age of 13 and 21 and having being diagnosed as having mental illness, have an increase in their self esteem and confidence when they are given a project and complete that particular project

9. Mental Illness • 1b. How prevalent is the problem? • The purposes of this research were to examine first the relationship between work status and quality of life and self-esteem in persons with severe, persistent mental illness and secondly, the relationship between (a) demographic characteristics, attitudes toward psychotropic medications, and perceptions of the meaning of work and (b) quality of life and self-esteem in working and nonworking persons with severe mental illness. The sample included 92 persons (51 workers and 41 nonworkers). Instruments included the quality of Life (QOL) Interview (Lehman, 1983), Rosenberg's (1965) Self-Esteem Inventory, the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI) (Hogan, 1983), and a Perception of Work instrument, developed by the researcher. Workers reported significantly higher self-esteem than did nonworkers (t=2.17, df=90, p=.033). A significant difference in overall QOL was not found, but workers scored higher on all but one QOL subscale. There were no significant differences in self-esteem, QOL, or valuing of work based on demographic factors. No significant differences in drug attitudes were found based on work status. Workers rated the importance of work higher than did nonworkers (t=6.46, df=90, p=.000). Analysis of qualitative data revealed that contrary to the nonworkers' fears, workers reported that work provided a distraction from symptoms and contributed to better mental health. • Community Mental Health Journal Volume 32, Number 6 535-548, DOI: 10.1007/BF02251064 Carol J. Dungen

10. Mental Health • 1c. The problem affects youth, ages 13-21, who have been diagnosed with mental illness. • 1d. This issues was chosen due to the prevalence of youth diagnosed with mental illness and the importance of assisting those youths achieve improved mental health, self esteem, and confidence.

11. Substance Abuse • Working with at risk individuals in the DWI program is an effort to address a problem that affects all parts of a person’s life and a growing percent of the population. We will examine the DWI program as it is in Greene County. The questions that will be answered are: 1. How is the problem defined 2. How prevalent is the problem and 3. Who does the problem affect? • 1a. How the problem is defined---The risk group. • Alcohol is the most widely used of all psychoactive substances worldwide. (Hammen, 1995) Alcohol is legal, but it has become one of the most dangerous recreational drugs. People who abuse alcohol use it to help them to do things that would otherwise make them anxious. Alcohol gets to the point that it interferes with work and social functioning. Alcoholism destroys families’ social relationships and careers. (Rhines, 2007) Alcohol impaired driving is one of America’s most often committed and deadliest crimes. To counteract the increasing rate of alcohol related traffic crimes, the Greene County DWI Court was started in 2004. The DWI Court accepts felony DWI cases. Many offenders face jail terms before they enter the program. The program accepts only those offenders who are the biggest threats to the community. (Coonrod, 2011)

12. Substance Abuse • 1b. How prevalent is the problem? • Approximately 8 percent of the adults in the US meet the criteria for alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence (alcoholism) according to DSM IV TR. Plein and Coonrod uses the following statistics that they quote from NHTSA and NTSB. In 2009 Alcohol impaired driving accounted for 32 percent of motor vehicle traffic fatalities. In 2009 greater than 70 percent of the accidents involved a hardcore offender. Repeat offenders are having a greater risk to kill another person. A driver with a .08 BAC in a fatal crash is 8 times more likely to have a prior DWI. In Missouri DWI has saved $27million for the state of Missouri due to time that offenders have been able stay out of prison. There are 3000 participant in the 500 drug courts.

13. Substance Abuse • Who does the problem affect • Alcoholism destroys millions of families, it destroys social relationships and also careers. The cost for medical treatment, lost productivity, and losses due to death from alcoholism cost as much as $148million annually. (Comer, 2004) Alcoholism causes a person to be at risk to lose their job, their marriage, their health, and their independence (through driving or even going to jail). These all cause a spiral in the life of an alcoholic causing them to become even more dependent on alcohol. They are truly an at risk group. The DWI program is designed to break that pattern and help them get out of that pattern of destruction. The offender goes through four phases. In the initial phase they are required to attend court weekly and have a curfew. As they progress through the stages they come to court less often, but they still have random naltrexone screening to assure they are not drinking. This gives them accountability. When they begin the program their self esteem is low because of all they have lost. As they progress through the program they become more confident. When they get to phase four, they get their license back. This regaining of freedom helps to instill confidence. Upon graduation from the program the individual gains an increased self esteem that can be seen as they give their speech at graduation. Greene County has had 257 graduates. In the last two years there has been one graduate who reoffended. • Comer, R. (2004). Abnormal Psychology . In R. Comer, Abnormal Psychology (p. 366). New York: Worth Publishing . • Coonrod, C. P. (2011, March 11). www.ky3.com. Retrieved June 26, 2011, from Greene County DWI Court Wins National Award: http://www.ky3.com/newsky3-greene-county-dwi-court-wins-national-award • Hammen, P. c. (1995). Abnormal Psychology. In P. c. Hammen, Epidemiology of Alcohol use (p. 371). Geneva,Illillinois: Houghton Mifflin Company. • Rhines, K. C. (2007). Instructor's Resource Manual to Abnormal Psychology . In R. Comer, Instructor's Resource Manual to Abnormal Psychology (pp. 160-161). New York ,NY: Worth Publishers.