Storytelling and Youth Intervention Programs Win 1997 Prevention & Education Awards

National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Tuesday, 7 October 1997

A storytelling program that reconnects young adolescents with the cultural and spiritual traditions of the Tohono O'odham Nation, a native American tribe, and a community-wide effort to give young alcohol offenders a second chance are the 1997 winners of prevention and education awards given by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD). The awards will be presented on October 17 during the annual conference of Affiliates in Detroit.

NCADD's Tucson Affiliate, the Tucson Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence will receive a Meritorious Award for "Cultural Enhancement Through Storytelling." The program, which targets nine- to 14-year-olds in a rural public school district on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation, employs asset-building to reduce use of alcohol and other drugs among these youth.

"This program capitalizes on a strong native tradition, an engaging learning device and a means of effective communication," commented David C. Rohlfing, a member of NCADD's Board of Directors and chair of the Prevention and Education Awards Program Committee. "In an era where scientific analysis is usually done electronically and therefore begins a slow fade in importance to many human beings, the renewal of building common understanding and an effective value structure by sharing experiences and stories creates renewal for cultures and a sense of belonging for the individual."

Guiding the project is the philosophy that stories teach respect for the self, school, teachers, community, family and tribe, and that the O'odham way, taught through stories, can strengthen and empower youth. The stories, which include heros and heroines who face tests, overcome adversity and win honor for themselves, family and community, help build a strong personal identity which can motivate youth toward future goals. The stories also use culturally relevant psychology to influence value systems. All that the project represents can be found in the saying "O'odham Himdag `o wud t-gewkdag," which translates as "the O'odham way of life is our strength."

NCADD's Grand Island Affiliate, the Central Nebraska Council on Alcoholism (CNCA) will receive a Commendation for its "Minor-in-Possession Diversion Program," which uses education to intervene in the lives of youth who are arrested for possessing alcohol for the first time.

The program relies on the collaboration of the police, county attorney, high schools and agencies offering counseling services. By agreeing to undergo an assessment by an addictions professional and following the recommended course of action, which usually consists of eight hours of special instruction by the staff of CNCA, kids can avoid going to jail and keep a clean record.

Statistics offer compelling evidence of this approach over a "one-size-fits-all" punishment: only 5% of the individuals who completed the program during the 1996 fiscal year committed an additional offense compared to 24% of those offenders who chose not to participate and plead their case before a judge.

The NCADD Prevention and Education Awards Program began in 1977 and now is judged by a panel of NCADD Affiliate executive directors. All NCADD Affiliates are eligible to apply; entries are judged according to background and significance; goals and objectives; activities and approaches; program management; coordination; ease of replication; and evaluation.

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. provides education, information, help and hope in the fight against the chronic and often fatal disease of alcoholism, and other drug addictions. Founded in 1944, NCADD, with its nationwide network of Affiliates, advocates prevention, intervention and treatment and is committed to ridding the disease of its stigma and its sufferers from their denial and shame.

For more information, or to contact National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence, see their website at: www.ncadd.org