The EPISCenter is a collaborative partnership between the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, College of Health and Human Development, Penn State University. The EPISCenter is funded by DHS and PCCD. This resource was developed by the EPISCenter through PCCD grant VP-ST-24368.

PA LifeSkills Training Information Session EPISCenter & Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV)

Presenters • Kris Glunt

Prevention Coordinator EPISCenter

• Sebrina Doyle Research Associate EPISCenter

• Karen Drewelow Blueprints Project Manager (East PA) CSPV

Topics Covered Today •  LifeSkills Training Program Overview •  2013-2014 LST Roll-out in PA

•  LifeSkills Training Program Grant Information

• Questions and Answers •  Submit questions via the ‘Q & A’ pod in Adobe Connect

LIFESKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM OVERVIEW, RESEARCH, AND MORE

LST Program– General Overview •  Program Description: LST is an evidence-based substance abuse

and violence prevention program designed to be implemented in Middle/Junior High School classrooms. In addition to helping youth resist drug, alcohol and tobacco use, LST effectively helps to reduce violence and other high-risk behaviors. The program contains 30 lessons to be taught over three years (15, 10, and 5), with a focus on three major objectives: •  Personal Self-Management Skills: Provides students with skills to enhance self-

esteem, learn creative problem solving, reduce stress and anxiety, and manage anger.

•  General Social Skills: Empowers students to meet challenges such as overcoming shyness, communicating clearly, building relationships and avoiding violence.

•  Drug Resistance Skills: Helps students resist pressures to use tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

LST Program - Features • Designed for Middle/Junior High School students in

Grades 6-9

• Sessions are 40-45 minutes, taught 1-5 times per week •  Level 1 (Grade 6/7): Core Level – 15 class sessions (plus 3

optional violence lessons)

•  Level 2 (Grade 7/8): Booster Level – 10 sessions (plus 2 optional violence lessons)

•  Level 3 (Grade 8/9): Booster Level – 5 sessions (plus 2 optional violence lessons)

Designations & Recognitions • Exemplary Program – U.S. Department of Education • Programs That Work

•  National Institute on Drug Abuse

• Model Program •  SAMHSA

•  Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

•  Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (Blueprints for Violence Prevention)

•  Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

•  White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

Importance of Choosing an Evidence-Based Program •  Two common features of EBP’s are a high degree of structure

or manualization, and monitoring to ensure the program is implemented with fidelity.

•  Because some programs are ineffective, or even harmful, we are obligated to do what we know is effective.

•  EBP’s offer well-packaged program materials, staff training and technical assistance.

•  EBP’s provide meaningful accountability of scarce resources. Information increasingly is available that the financial benefits of EBP’s outweigh their costs.

•  The demonstrated effectiveness of EBP’s can help in securing support from funding agencies, policy makers and community leaders.

LST Research Results • Results consistently show that LST can cut adolescent

tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use as well as reduce more serious forms of drug involvement and violence and delinquency

•  LST is effective with a broad range of students, including white middle-class youth, ethnic minority and economically disadvantaged inner-city youth, and rural and suburban youth

•  LST is cost effective. WSIPP (December 2014) reports $11.58 in measured benefits per $1 spent in implementing LST.

LST Research– Lasting Impacts

LST ROLL-OUT IN PA 2013-2014

LST Roll-out in 2013-2014 in PA •  52 School Districts rolled out LifeSkills Training in one or

more of their schools in the 2013-2014 school year

•  35 of those School Districts also elected to collect data to show outcomes of the program

• Of those districts who collected data, 25 agreed that their data could be shared; only 23 had pre-post data available.

Knowledge Change from Pre to Post

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

100%

Pretest Average

Posttest Average

% School Districts with significant (p<.05) or trending (p<.10) positive change

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

100%

LifeSkills Average Change from Pre to Post

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Refusal Skills Assertiveness Skills

Relaxation Skills Task Persistance Skills

Pretest Average

Posttest Average

% School Districts with significant (p<.05) or trending (p<.10) positive change

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Refusal Skills Assertiveness Skills Relaxation Skills Task Persistance Skills

Why collect outcomes? •  Let’s you know if the program is working in your area • Helps you find areas that may need improvement

• Gives you information to share with constituents who may provide sustainability funding for materials/etc.

Tools and information for collecting outcomes are available: •  on EPISCenter’s website: •  http://www.episcenter.psu.edu/ebp/lifeskills

•  on the developer’s website at:

• www.lifeskillstraining.com/lst_outcome_tools.php

Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence University of Colorado at Boulder

www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints www.blueprintsprograms.com

Blueprints: •  Began in 1996 to identify exemplary violence,

delinquency, and drug prevention programs for youth. Ø Model Programs (14 certified)

•  Strong research design with 2 randomized control trials (RCT), or 1 RCT & one quasi-experimental design (QED)

•  Effects sustained at least 1 year post-treatment Ø Promising Programs (43 certified)

•  Strong research design with 1 RCT, or 2 QEDs

More than 1,300 violence prevention programs reviewed. 14 Model Programs:

•  Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS)………………… Elementary •  LifeSkills Training (LST)…………………………………………………… Middle School •  Positive Action……………………………………………………………… Middle School •  Blues Program ……………………………………………………………… High School •  Project Towards No Drug Abuse………………………………………… High School •  Body Project (Dissonance Intervention)……………………………….. High School/College •  Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students…… College

•  Functional Family Therapy (FFT) •  Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) •  Multisystemic Therapy® (MST®) •  Multisystemic Therapy® - Problem Sexual Behavior •  New Beginnings (Intervention for Children of Divorce) •  Nurse-Family Partnership •  Parent Management Training

Detailed information about each program available at

http://www.blueprintsprograms.com

Program Structure & Content By Grade/Level LifeSkills Training Program L1: 6th/7th L2: 7th/8th L3: 8th/9th

Self-Image & Self-Improvement 1 0 0

Decision-Making 2 1 1

Substance Use / Drug Abuse 4 1 1*

Advertising/ Media Influences 1 1 1*

Violence and the Media 1* 0 0

Coping with Anxiety 2 2 1

Coping with Anger 1* 1* 1*

Communication Skills 1 1 0

Social Skills 2 1 1

Conflict Resolution 1* 1* 1*

Assertiveness 2 1 1

Resisting Peer Pressure 0 2 1

Total Class Periods 15/18 10/12 5/9

*Optional Units

Ø  Provide LST to all students; placement in a non-elective class.

Ø  Lessons taught at least once per week, up to 5x per week.

Ø  Lessons are designed to last 45 minutes, but carryover is acceptable as long as the full scope is taught.

Ø  All core lessons delivered, with units taught in order. Placement is flexible, as long as the above guidelines are met (Health/Wellness, Social Studies, Science, Homeroom, etc.).

Ø  Support of participating schools and teachers

Ø  Ensure all teachers attend training workshops

Ø  Designate a Site Coordinator for oversight of LST training and implementation

Ø  Commit to program fidelity

Ø  Allow CSPV to monitor fidelity

Ø  Annual teacher training (stipend or sub reimbursement)

Ø  Additional training/technical assistance, upon request

Ø  Regional Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop

Ø  Regional Strategic Sustainability Workshop Ø  Annual Feedback Report Ø  Curriculum Materials:

Ø  Year 1: Level 1 student guides and teachers’ manuals Ø  Year 2: Level 1 & 2 student guides and teachers’ manuals Ø  Year 3: Level 1, 2, & 3 student guides and teachers’ manuals

Ø  Annual Site Visit by CSPV Field Representative Ø  Online Teacher Survey

Ø  Site Coordinator Survey

Ø  Classroom Observations -Year 1: 4 per L1 teacher -Year 2: 4 per L1 teacher, 3 per L2 teacher -Year 3: 4 per L1 teacher, 3 per L2 teacher, 2 per L3 teacher

(Teachers delivering multiple levels: 4 observations total per year) Purpose of observations is to evaluate implementation fidelity, not to evaluate individual teachers.

Ø  Annual Report

Ø  Sustainability Assessment (1 and 2 years post-grant)

Year 1 2016-2017

Year 2 2017-2018

Year 3 2018-2019

Year 4 2019-2020

Year 5 2020-2021

Teacher Training

All L1 teachers Initial: New L1 & L2 teachers.

Booster: Returning L1 teachers

Initial: New L1, L2, & L3 teachers

Booster: Returning L1 and L2 teachers

LST Implementation

L1 (15-18 lessons) 6th or 7th grade, depending on school structure

L1 (15-18 lessons) L2 (10-12 lessons)

L1 (15-18 lessons) L2 (10-12 lessons) L3 (5-9 lessons)

Classroom Observations

4 per L1 teacher •  4 per L1 teacher •  3 per L2 teacher 4 total if teaching multiple levels

•  4 per L1 teacher •  3 per L2 teacher •  2 per L3 teacher 4 total if teaching multiple levels

Teacher Survey Complete after first full cycle (L1)

Complete after first full cycle (L1, L2)

Complete after first full cycle (L1, L2, L3)

Site Coordinator Survey

Complete following LST implementation

Complete following LST implementation

Complete following LST implementation

Sustainability Assessment 1

Sustainability Assessment 2

Ø  1) Submit Completed Application and Signed Letters to CSPV ◦  http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/lst-grant/ ◦  Signed Letters: Superintendent & Each Participating Principal ◦  Western PA: Amanda.Lain@Colorado.edu ◦  Eastern PA: Karen.Drewelow@Colorado.edu

Ø  2) CSPV reviews application and responds with next steps. Ø  3) Schedule/Complete Feasibility Meeting (60-90 minutes). Ø  4) CSPV conducts final review to determine inclusion status

and contacts district with decision. Ø  5) Late Spring/early Summer 2016: Schedule Year 1 training,

identify LST teachers, and hire classroom observer.

Listing of Evidence-Based Programs: http://www.blueprintsprograms.com LST Cost / Grant Value Calculator: http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/lst_grant/ calculator.html

LifeSkills Training Program Website: http://lifeskillstraining.com/lst_middle.php

Ø  Karen Drewelow, Blueprints Project Manager (East PA) Karen.Drewelow@colorado.edu 303-492-7849

Ø  Amanda Lain, Blueprints Project Manager (West PA) Amanda.Lain@Colorado.edu 303-492-2134

Ø  Sharon Mihalic, Blueprints Director Sharon.mihalic@colorado.edu 303-492-2137

University of Colorado-Boulder 483 UCB

Boulder, CO 80309 www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints

LET’S ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

THANK YOU! The EPISCenter is a collaborative partnership between the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, College of Health and Human Development, Penn State University. The EPISCenter is funded by DHS and PCCD. This resource was developed by the EPISCenter through PCCD grant VP-ST-24368.

206 Towers Building, University Park, PA 16802 Phone : (814) 863-2568 w Email: EPISCenter@psu.edu

www.EPISCenter.org

/EPISCenterPSU @EPIS_Center