Training School Counselors in Substance Abuse Risk Reduction Techniques for Use with Children and Adolescents

Abstract

A training project prepared school counselors for expanded roles in the prevention, early detection, and appropriate referral of students at high risk of substance abuse. The project trained middle and high school counselors to work as facilitators of support groups for students at greatest risk for substance abuse; the results were: 1) greater perceived self-efficacy, comfort, confidence, and competence by counselors as a result of Initial, Experiential, and Concurrent training, and 2) improved ability to use group counseling techniques as a result of training.