DRUG USE AND ABUSE PREVENTION: “Street Kids Network”

BACKGROUND Investigations carried out by the NGO “ALTERNATIVE PREVENTION” and CICAD:   Increase on drug use and abuse, more than the 75% of the street kids are consumers.   90% of the organizations do not attend the problem.   Reasons: lack of human resource training, fear, ignorance, inexperience, they think through other educational alternatives.

NET’S MISSION “Coordinate, link and fortify, inter institutional links, that promote actions for prevention of drug use among kids and teenagers in street situation “Coordinate, link and fortify, inter institutional links, that promote actions for prevention of drug use among kids and teenagers in street situation through the strengthening of protective factors and the decrease of risk factors within the family, school, community and peer group”

WHO’S PART OF THE NET? NGO GO Church Security bodies Rights and Protection Council Centers of Toxicological attention Centers of primary attention in health and nutrition Refugee centers and community homes Community, sports and cultural organizations, Neighborhood associations Treatment centers Educational Units Community families Merchants

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

1.F avor the attention of children and teenagers population in street situation, in drug use and abuse matters.

Kid’s attention

Kid’s Attention

2.Fortify training and knowledge of members in the organizations working with street kids and teenagers, on drug use and abuse prevention and attention.

3.Generate and fortify a Networking culture Network, that allows to optimization of resources to attend the drug use and abuse problem in street kids and teenagers.

Consolidating and Expanding the Street Kids Network Institution and organization training in drug use and abuse prevention Networking CULTURE OPERATING components of the Network: management, training, communication, investigation, evaluation and monitoring Prevention: family, school, community, media Healthy Behavior Promotion for Kids Drug use and Abuse Prevention and Treatment Days playing Health attention School reintegration Orientation and support to the family Protection council Street Education Community Participation DECREASE STREET TIME

THE STREET SITUATION Case detection Training, motivation and treatment Psychosocial studies Network Support Contacts Family contacts Location in U.E Community awareness Community links Community awareness Community links Case follow up and monitoring LINK WITH THE STREET Street trainers LINK WITH THE STREET Street trainers

Implementation Results Four (4) teams of educators created for the area of Greater Caracas: mission - offer support within the main habitat of children, “the street”, to initiate the prevention work and detect drug use and abuse. Fifteen (15) drug use and abuse prevention on street kids workshops coupling techniques, preventive recreation, multipliers training, life skills, result evaluation to form 340 new counselors.

Implementation Results   20,575 beneficiaries, product of actions by the Network members from the activities generated by the different components   Interstate Network creation (mission, vision, signing of commitment) that included 53 organizations of the following states: Aragua, Carabobo, Lara, Miranda and the Metropolitan District.

Prevention calendar design. Four (4) neighborhood sensitization campaigns Three diagnoses of the institution's attention on use and abuse in risk situations. More than 40,000 people reached through the promotion actions of the Network (leaflets, radio programs, newspapers and TV) Implementation Results   Prevention plans prepared for in five components: Management, communication, training, investigation, evaluation and monitoring.   Achievements Design of four (4) leaflets, preventive handbook. Training in 60% of the member organizations. Network Promotion in the participating states’ major media. Registration and institutional board of directors of the 53 participating organizations.

On the kids   For the consolidation of the component of street approach, a labor market and training program was designed, to be executed during the last quarter of the   Street approach results 3,500 street kids reached for drug use and abuse prevention. 440 street kids with drug use and abuse problems

On the Kids Eight (8) working days “Playing and Learning” to treat the drug use and abuse problem in 840 kids in the care units of Aragua, Caracas, Miranda, Carabobo y Lara. 40% decrease in street time 37% of families reached and reestablishing ties with their own kids. 8% reintegrated to the Network schools. Decrease of 40% in drug use and abuse among the teenagers reached.

Evaluation Mechanisms Preparation of yearly plans for each Network member Achievement indicators established Daily registry of Street activities Yearly evaluation meetings with the Networks members.

THANK YOU …