Transcript PPT - Reclaiming Futures

®
Challenges
The Seven
Overview
Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
Reclaiming Futures
October 30, 2008
www.sevenchallenges.com
Youth in the Early Stages of
Change
• Don’t think they have a problem
• Don’t think their life would be better
without drugs
• Don’t know what it takes to overcome a
drug problem
• Don’t feel they could succeed
• Not prepared to succeed
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
The Mad Rush for Abstinence
The mad rush is a frantic attempt to
convince youth that drugs are dangerous,
that they personally have been harmed by
drugs, and that they must quit.
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
Bad Outcomes from the Mad Rush
for Abstinence
• Fakers (tell the adults what they want to hear)
• Fighters
– Aggressive fighters
– Passive-aggressive fighter who play the game: “Go
ahead, try to make me quit”
• Fleers: “Got no problem. No way I’ll quit. I’m
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out of here.”
Followers: Try to quit, but with narrow focus on
quitting and not enough attention to cooccurring problems, often results in failure.
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
The Starting Point
Start where youth are at, not where we wish
they might be, not where they might
pretend to be, and not where they might
be for a fleeting moment in time.
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
COURTESY RELAPSE PREVENTION
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For youth under external pressure to quit
Not a counselor’s job to make you quit
What do YOU want to do?
If an impulse to quit, we provide courtesy
relapse prevention
Whole hearted support for abstinence
Impulse not confused with an informed and
motivated decision
We work on two levels: for abstinence and for a
foundation for success
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
Working Sessions
• We teach youth how to identify the issues
that are most important to them, and
have them bring these issues to sessions.
• Counselors identify other relevant issues
and then bring activities to sessions or
start discussions about these issues.
• We make The Seven Challenges part of
the conversation.
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
The Seven Challenges®
Counseling Skills
• Proactively undo the expectation that counselors’ job is
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to make youth quit: Youth are convinced we are there to
make them quit, unless we undo this. It’s a set up for
faking and fighting.
Defer the decision (Decide after you think about it, not
before)
Support clean and sober impulses with Courtesy Relapse
Prevention
Redefine success in smaller increments. (Make goals
relevant and attainable.)
Allow and encourage free discussion of drug benefits
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
• Validate reasons for drug use (Make
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connections between drug use and life
circumstances)
Redefine role as problem solving partner
Defocus on drugs
– Address co-occurring problems
– Teach life skills
Use finesse to get to harm without increasing
defensiveness
Don’t play “try to make me quit”
Elicit youth concerns; tap their ambivalence
(privately and secretly concerned, but resist
treatment)
Use caring confrontation
Inspire hope & optimism & teach skills for a
better future
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
Implementation Problems
• Commitment of
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• Lack of trust that
agency
youth will work
Misunderstanding of
• Discomfort with
training with EBP
asking youth what
they like about drugs
Arguing and trying to
control youth
• Blaming Youth
Wanting to teach or
• Work force
lecture
deficiencies
Misunderstanding of
• Staff turnover
EBP implementation
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
Implementation Improvement
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Clearer Agreements
More materials to help implement
More training
Immediate support on phone calls
Leader Training
Help with supervision strategies
Materials for QA
Use of website
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.
CONTACT INFORMATION
• Sharon Conner, Director
Seven Challenges Program Services
[email protected]
(520) 405-4559
www.sevenchallenges.com
© 2008 Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.