School Interventions for Children of Alcoholics

For years, children of alcoholics (COAs) have been a hidden, at-risk population within the school setting. Despite the vast COA literature, little is available on identifying and working with these children in the schools. Written specifically for school professionals, this book presents useful guidelines for the design, evaluation, and implementation of interventions with COAs that can be easily integrated into existing academic and health education programs. Drawing from work on substance abuse, social competence enhancement, and developmental and instructional psychology, this unique and practical text provides a detailed, hands-on resource.

To provide readers with a better understanding of family alcoholism and how effective interventions can be designed, the authors utilize a perspective that takes into account both ecological and developmental considerations. Chapters present a model of personal-social competence and a review of research linking characteristics of COAs and their families. Highlighting the factors related to adolescent and adult substance abuse, the book covers the theoretical and empirical bases for designing educational interventions, and presents practical guidelines for integrating competence enhancement into extant academic curricula.

Applicable to both the general school-age population as well as Children of Alcoholics, the interventions described focus on preventative intervention, but also address the needs of identified COAs who are either at risk or currently experiencing adjustment difficulties. Because the interventions are integrated into existing classroom activities, unidentified as well as identified children benefit from the program.

Explicit directions for identifying COAs and for conducting group interventions are presented, and specific guidelines that demonstrate how school personnel can modify, implement, and evaluate the curriculum, or develop their own programs are detailed. Designed for easy replication, the book includes a sample curriculum (the ESCAPE program), and an array of resource materials such as charts, handouts, and annotated bibliographies. In addition, cogent suggestions for the best ways to refer families to appropriate community agencies are discussed.

Written for school psychologists, social workers, guidance counselors, classroom teachers, and administrators, the book will also inform mental health professionals, health educators, and drug education and prevention specialists. Ideal for advanced courses in school psychology, education, counseling and counseling psychology, it is also relevant to courses focused on consultation, primary prevention and intervention, curriculum design, school-based interventions, drug education and health education.