A low commitment to school and worrying attitudes towards drug use will be tackled under a new community program.
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The initiative, Communities That Care Warrnambool (CTC), is shining a light on issues and risk factors challenging the city’s youth.
A 326-question survey was completed by 1215 year 6, 8 and 10 students from 13 Warrnambool schools earlier in the year. The comprehensive questionnaire covered health and behavioural problems including drugs, alcohol, smoking, mental health and violence.
Evidence-based prevention programs have been proven to work. They will work in Warrnambool.
- Cameron Price
It found one in five year six pupils had consumed alcohol.
Cameron Price co-ordinates the Warrnambool program and has been involved since October last year. CTC is not a new initiative and has been proven to work over the past 20 years in communities across the world.
The program aims to promote the development of children and teenagers by preventing health and social problems. From Warrnambool’s survey, five factors are being targeted with prevention strategies.
They are:
- Low commitment to school;
- School opportunities for positive participation in the community;
- Opportunities to participate meaningfully in families;
- Laws/norms favourable to substance use and
- Favourable attitude towards drug use.
Mr Price said the CTC program had five phases and the first was introducing communities to the program, assessing if the community was ready and identifying key community leaders to champion the process.
The next phase is forming a board to administer the program, learn about prevention science and develop a timeline.
CTC Warrnambool is up to stage three and has conducted the youth survey and assessed the community risks and strengths.
Mr Price is working on identifying existing resources and programs that address youth health and well-being.
The fourth phase includes creating a community action plan for prevention work and the final phase is to implement and then evaluate the program.
“Evidence-based prevention programs have been proven to work,” Mr Price said. “They will work in Warrnambool.”
The Community Youth Development Study reported youths from CTC communities were 25-33 per cent less likely to have health and behaviour problems than youths from other communities. For every dollar invested in CTC, $5.30 is returned in the form of lower criminal justice system, crime victim, and health care costs, and increased earnings and tax.
