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PROSPER brings prevention programs to area

Program to promote success in youth, families

Sentinel photo by BRADLEY KREITZER
Instructors Lynsey Phillips, standing left, and Shelby Liebegott, standing right, meet with area youth to help build their life skills during the Strengthening the Family program Tuesday at Mifflin County Middle School in Lewistown. The program is part of the PROSPER program that is prevention program targeted at middle school age youth and their families.

LEWISTOWN — A new opportunity for youth is coming to Mifflin and Juniata counties.

A two-year grant has been awarded to Penn State and the Prevention Research Center in January to expand a program called PROSPER, Promoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience, to develop PROSPER communities in the two counties, as well as the Shikellamy School District. The program started in the early 2000s as a collaboration between Iowa State University and Penn State University and is now found in 12 counties in Pennsylvania.

PROSPER is a model for bringing evidence-based prevention programs to schools and communities with the goal of strengthening families, building youth skills and reducing youth substance use, as well as other problem behaviors.

Locally, the PROSPER communities are collaborations between the Prevention Research Center, Penn State Extension, Mifflin County School District, Juniata County School District, Mifflin County Communities That Care and the Juniata County Prevention Board. PROSPER is offered to the community in addition to similar prevention programming offered by the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit and SUM Child Development.

PROSPER offers participating communities a menu of programs that are targeted toward middle school age children and consists of an in-school curriculum and an after-school curriculum. A Community Risk Survey was done by the CTC and prevention board in the school districts to find the youths’ strengths and challenges and looks for programs to address risk factors.

Kirk Gilbert, Penn State Extension leader who is heading up the program locally, said the school districts were given choices of what curriculum to use to best meet its needs. Both school districts have chosen the Life Skills Training program for the in-school program of study and Strengthening the Family for after school.

Life Skills Training provides students with skills for planning, problem-solving, peer resistance against problem behaviors, anger management, bullying and communication. Gilbert said studies have shown that these protective factors help youth avoid substance use and engaging in risk-taking behaviors.

“Penn State is data driven,” Gilbert said. “We have youth surveys done and take data and analyze it and see the effect of these programs.”

According to study findings from other PROSPER programs, students who participated during middle school are significantly less likely to misuse illicit drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, inhalants or prescription opioids.

The Strengthening the Family program teaches skills and attitudes that foster improved family life and parent-child communication as families prepare for the teen years. The free seven-week program has already started at Mifflin County Middle School with 16 families signed up, including 20 youth in fifth and sixth grades.

“We are happy with the numbers we have and are pleased with the turnout,” Gilbert said of the after school program.

All sessions begin with a family meal and the evening includes games, activities and discussion.

Gilbert said the program tries to use school facilities since the school districts are invested partners in the prevention program.

Other prevention partners include CTC and the prevention board.

“Prevention is strong in Mifflin County and now in Juniata County through the CTC and prevention board,” said Nancy Records, former director of the CTC. “This is a beautiful match.”

Melissa Fausey, of the prevention board, said the new board lacks a lot of experience and resources, so this collaboration is a great fit because it gives them programming they wouldn’t have been able to offer for years.

“Life Skills Training is something we have been wanting for a long time,” Fausey said.

The Life Skills program will start in the fall at Tuscarora Junior High School and East Juniata High School and it is hoped that the Strengthening the Family program will start in both locations.

Records said she is thrilled to get these two top-rated programs implemented locally, especially since the programs are expensive.

Gilbert said the grant helps pay for materials for the programs, facilitators, meals, child care, training and observers who make sure the programs are delivered with fidelity.

Fausey said the cost/benefit analysis for every $1 invested into prevention is roughly a $5.30 cost savings, which she said is a very conservative figure.

“It’s hard to put a price tag on prevention,” Fausey said. “There really is a cost/benefit instead of intervention and recovery costs. If we focus funding into prevention, it will help us come out ahead in the end.”

Records said the CTC’s budget, with grants and in-kind matches over the past 17 years was $8 million total, in comparison to Mifflin County’s Children and Youth Services’ budget which is roughly $6.5 million per year. Records said the cost savings from prevention represents money that would have been spent at children and youth, welfare, the court system, domestic relations, mental health and drug and alcohol treatment services.

Gilbert hopes that after the two-year grant has passed, the program will sustain itself and continue to serve the area. He said the original PROSPER programs are still active.

“Prevention needs the community behind it and to get as many people involved as possible,” Fausey said.

“The more support, the better off the children do,” Records said. “Let people know about all the good work.”

For more information, call Gilbert at 248-9618, Fausey at 994-6584 or Aleta Kammerer at 248-8123. Check out the CTC and the JCPB on Facebook.

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