Centre County Communities That Care® strives to implement data-driven and evidence-based programming recognized as Blueprints, Model, and Promising programs by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.  The following programs have or are currently being implemented in Bald Eagle, Bellefonte, and Penns Valley communities:

 

Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS)

PATHS is a classroom-based curriculum designed to prevent violence, aggression, and other behavioral problems through the promotion of social competence, self-esteem, and interpersonal skills.  The curriculum consists of three primary components:  self control, emotional understanding and recognition, and interpersonal cognitive problem solving.  Structured lessons are taught using pictures, photographs, dialoguing, role-playing, and modeling by teachers and peers.  Research has demonstrated that children who have completed the program exhibit significant increases in cognitive skills, self control, emotional understanding, thinking before acting, and the effective use of conflict resolution skills.  In addition, the program has been shown to foster positive classroom interactions and decrease the expression of aggressive and disruptive behaviors.

Information Sheet: PATHS Information Sheet

 

Parents Who Care

Parents Who Care is a community-based program for parents of preadolescent youth.  The program was offered locally for families in Bellefonte, Bald Eagle, and Penns Valley communities through a partnership with the Centre County Youth Service Bureau.  The program aims to strengthen family bonds, improve family discipline and supervision practices, and decrease the risk of substance use and delinquency among youth.  Centre County Communities That Care® replaced the program with The Strengthening Families Program:  For Parents and Youth 10-14 in 2007.

 

Project Towards No Drug Abuse (TND)

Project Towards No Drug Abuse is a classroom-based drug abuse prevention curriculum implemented at the high school level.  Students are educated on the consequences and misperceptions associated with drug use.  The program also promotes coping, communication, cessation, and stress management skills.

Information Sheet: Project TND Information Sheet

 

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program targets elementary, middle, and junior high school students.  The multifaceted program reduces and prevents bullying problems in schools by implementing prevention and intervention strategies on three levels:

School-wide (training staff, developing school rules)

Classroom (holding weekly classroom meetings)

Individual (implementing procedures with students identified as victims and bullies)

Information Sheet: Olweus Information Sheet

 

LifeSkills

LifeSkills Training Program is a multi-component substance abuse prevention curriculum addressing social, psychological, cognitive, and attitudinal factors that have been shown to be associated with the use of various legal and illegal substances.  The primary objective of the program is to enhance the development of basic life skills, personal competence, and skills related to the resistance of the social influences that promote substance use.

Information Sheet: LifeSkills Training Information Sheet

 

Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14

The Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14 is an empirically supported program identified by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as having demonstrated evidence of effectiveness.  The program offers concurrent learning sessions for parents and youth followed by family sessions.  The goal of the program is to improve parenting skills, build life skills in youth, and strengthen family bonds.  The program has been proven to delay the onset of youth problematic behavior, increase youth resistance to peer pressure, and increase parents’ ability to set appropriate limits and show affection and support to their children.

Information Sheet: SFP Information Sheet

 

Reconnecting Youth: A Peer Group Approach to Building Life Skills (RY)

In the Fall of 2007, Centre County Communities That Care® will begin implementing Reconnecting Youth in Bald Eagle and Bellefonte Area School Districts.  The research-based RY curriculum has been proven effective in helping high-risk youth in grades 9-12 improve their academic performance and manage anger and emotional distress, while decreasing drug use, depression, and suicide risk. The curriculum is divided into four major units: Self-Esteem Enhancement, Decision-Making, Personal Control, and Interpersonal Communication.

Information Sheet: Reconnecting Youth Information Sheet