The attached report is a result of a request by the Minnesota Institute of Public Health to survey individual students and administrators whose schools have been addressed and who have been helped by New Beginnings. The results were so favorable that they have recommended New Beginnings Programs be instituted in other states.
New Beginnings Evaluation Report
Prepared by the Minnesota Institute of Public Health Tom Griffin Ph.D., M.S.W. , Kevin Ringhofer, Ph.D., Becky Sechrist, M.Ed., Kelly Reynolds, M.A., L.I.C.S.W January 9, 2009
Introduction
New Beginnings was founded by Bill Phillips in 1985 “to promote awareness and acceptance of alcoholism and other dependencies as a health issue of grave concern to everyone, with major ramifications to the welfare of the community.” Today, New Beginnings offers a range of programs based on the belief that it is never too early or too late for young people of today to be “educated to make healthy choices for a non-addicted life.” Presentation type services often conducted by Bill Phillips as well as guest speakers, court officials and “kids in recovery” are designed to fit any middle or high school grade level. These can range from one-hour assemblies, to classroom workshops, all day events, or evening sessions such as pre-season meetings for athletes and their parents. New Beginnings staff encourages schools to implement classroom-based activities, but schools most often request large group assemblies. Other parallel programs are offered for parents, coaches, other school staff, captains and other leadership groups to use their influence to assist young people in making healthy decisions about their futures. In addition a variety of follow-up services are offered including facilitating small at risk student group discussions, one-on-one counseling, assistance to school staff to address school policy and service issues, and to parent or other community groups to address issues at a community level.
Information on the New Beginnings website explains, “The programs are in constant change to keep up with the fast-paced world we live in.” As well as providing current and accurate information about the effects and dangers of alcohol and other drugs, each program focuses on current issues students at their grade level deal with everyday. New strategies and approaches are also frequently created for student interest. And Programs are also adapted for specific issues that school staff or parents “feel are important to encourage young adults to make responsible decisions.”( http://www.nbprograms.com/ - About Us)
When used alone, knowledge-oriented interventions designed to supply information about the negative consequences of substance use do not produce measurable and long-lasting changes in substance use-related behaviors or attitudes and are considered among the least effective educational strategies (Tobler, 1986). Knowledge-oriented approaches without regard for age appropriateness or readiness to receive messages often does little more than to stir curiosity. In addition, one-time assemblies and presentations that include testimonials by former addicts have been evaluated and found to have minimal value as a prevention strategy because they reinforce a negative norm that "everyone uses drugs" at some point in their lives. Or some students may think that won’t happen to me or even if it does happen, they look okay now.However, New Beginnings programs go beyond these methods and provide the additional follow-up services mentioned above, which can: 1) identify and help students experiencing substance abuse problems, and 2) to engage the school, parents, and possibly community organizations and groups in efforts to change substance abuse among students. This second purpose may have a preventive impact; yet measuring such an impact was beyond the scope of the current evaluation. The focus of this evaluation did not examine the preventive impact of the presentation type of service on students in attendance, but rather focused on the degree to which the New Beginnings “Kids in Recovery” program engaged students experiencing substance use problems in seeking and receiving support services and the impact of the presentations of participating school’s efforts to respond to substance abuse among students.
The purpose of this evaluation was twofold. First, to determine the impact of the New Beginnings “Kids in Recovery” program and follow-up activities on students from participating schools. Second, to assess the contribution of the program and follow-up services on school substance policy, programs and practices.
