Western Queens Prevention Services
OUR SERVICES
WQPS provides psycho-educational programs for children and youth (age 5 to 22) and parents focused on learning valuable skills that help children grow into well-adjusted adults and decrease the stress of parenting. Programs can operate in a variety of settings including schools, health and community centers. All of our services are completely FREE of charge.
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WQPS also provides individual short-term counseling and early intervention programs for youth that engaged into substance misuse.
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KG-2nd Grade
Too Good For Drugs
Too Good For Drugs (TGD) is an evidenced based school curriculum for children of various school ages. It is designed to teach children as young as kindergarten about important concepts such as
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effective communication
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creation of healthy friendships
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identifying safe spaces and behaviors
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identifying healthy foods
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mood management
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dealing with challenges
The elementary school children learn these concepts through interactive activities, such as games, puzzles, songs, drawing, and coloring.
3rd-12th
grade
Life Skills Training
Life Skills Training (LST) is a school based program that aims to prevent substance misuse by targeting the major social and psychological factors that often provoke substance use, as well as targeting other high-risk behavior.
Life Skills Training promotes healthy alternatives to risky behavior through activities designed to:
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Teach students the necessary skills to resist and overcome social pressures to smoke, drink, and use drugs.
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Help students to develop greater self-esteem and confidence.
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Increase knowledge and understanding of the real and immediate consequences of substance use and abuse.
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Provide methods to effectively deal with anxiety and stress.
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Enhance cognitive and behavioral fitness to reduce and prevent a variety of health risk behaviors.
5th
grade
Building Skills
Building Skills is a 12 lessons curriculum designed to help children avoid or reduce high-risk behaviors, including substance abuse, by improving their interpersonal and other skills, one hour a week for 12 weeks.
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Children are encouraged to practice their skills in everyday life, especially at home and at school.
Topics covered include:
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Self Esteem
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Goal Setting
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Decision Making
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Problem Solving
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Communication Skills
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Choosing Friends
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Stress/Anger Management
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Conflict Resolution and Assertiveness
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Substance Refusal Skills
High School
Too Good for Drugs and Violence-Social Perspective
Too Good for Drugs and Violence- Social Perspectives, High School (TGDV) is an evidence based curriculum for high school students and addresses topics that are vital for their continuous development and transition into a world of bigger independence.
The 3 units course offers students an opportunity to learn skills such as
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mood management
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problem solving
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relationships (including healthy dating and family bonding)
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conflict resolution
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respect for others and self
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goal setting
Additionally, students can study effects various substances have on their bodies and development.
Early Intervention
"Teen Intervene" is a structured program that targets youth, ages 12 to 19, who engage the early stages of substance use , but don't use drugs or alcohol frequently enough to start showing signs of substance use disorders. In a course of 3 to 6 sessions teens receive a brief intervention with the intention of preventing them from using alcohol or drugs again and to reduce other behavioral risks.
Teen Intervene
Parents
Active Parenting
Active Parenting is an evidenced based curriculum geared towards parents of children ages 5 to 12, providing parents with tools to help decrease stress of parenting, increase children's and teens' cooperation and help parents raise well-adjusted, resilient individuals and good members of the community.
During the 6 weeks course parents learn about
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how to become an "active parent" i.e. a parent who guides their children by creating safe, rational and easy to navigate structure for children
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how to improve communication and increase cooperation
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how to teach children to be responsible and provide discipline without punishment
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how to help children to build courage and self-esteem
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how to understand and re-direct misbehavior and to eventually decrease its' occurrences
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how to help children to succeed academically
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Parents
Active Parenting of Teens
Active Parenting of Teens is an evidenced based curriculum geared towards parents of tweens and teens, ages 11-17 providing parents with tools to help decrease stress of parenting during challenging years of adolescence.
During the 6 weeks course parents will learn about
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Styles of parenting
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How to improve cooperation
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How to teach their children to be responsible
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How to build courage and self-esteem and re-direct misbehavior
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How to address and discuss with their children any risky behaviors
Guiding Good Choices
Parents
Guiding Good Choices is a prevention curriculum geared to parents of children ages 9-14, providing methods to help reduce the risk of drug and alcohol problems and other negative behaviors. Parents meet with a prevention counselor for a 2 hour session once a week for five weeks.
During the 5 weeks course parents will discuss:
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The extent of drug use among teens and how prevent drug use within their own family.
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How to develop clear family guidelines and expectations for behavior.
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How to Say 'No' to Drugs.
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Controlling and expressing anger constructively and the effective management of family conflict.
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Strengthening family bonds and creating a parent support network.
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Parents
Positive Parenting Program (Triple P)
Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) is an evidence-based program designed to help parents of children 3-16 to learn positive parenting skills and strategies in a discussion group format. This program aims to equip parents with the skills and confidence they need to be self-sufficient and to be able to manage family issues without ongoing support.
During the 5 weeks, parents will learn
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benefits of positive parenting
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how to encourage appropriate behavior through developing a positive relationship with their children
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how to teach new skills and behaviors how to manage problem behaviors without stress
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how to reduce non-cooperation how to deal with risky behaviors
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how to implement parenting routines.
Groups for Teens
Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET)
SSET an evidence-based program geared to help children and adolescents, ages 9-14, who have experienced traumatic or stressful events and struggle with processing their experiences. SSET helps participants to increase their coping skills, decrease their fears and avoidance, and to develop a new narrative about their trauma with a goal of improving their daily functioning. At the same time, SSET highlights the importance of building interpersonal connections and teaches pro-social skills.
During the 10 weeks sessions participants will learn:
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mindfulness techniques
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how to create new and healthy thinking strategies
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how to build resilience and learn understand their emotional responses
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how new narrative about their trauma narrative will help redefine their experiences.
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Please note that SSET is not a substitute for the individual therapy.
Prevention Counseling
Counseling
Prevention Counseling is a short-term , problem solving focused program, which includes initial assessment, intervention and referral for additional or alternative services (if needed) with the goal of helping children, teens and young adults to learn how to deal with adversities and challenges they are facing and develop healthy coping skills. This program, which is geared towards youth ages 5 to 22 includes weekly individual sessions with additional sessions with parents.
Sessions are conducted both in person and virtually.
Provided by SOR III
Workshops
WQPS also provides various educational workshops for school personnel on topics related to substance use prevention designed to bring awareness to risk and protective factors that affect students' ability to succeed academically and socially, help staff create mental wellness informed classrooms and decrease their own stress.
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SUMMER PROGRAMS
During summer we offer children twice-a week engaging hands-on activities and social-emotional learning groups led by our dedicated staff to help children socialize, learn how to manage their moods and be creative. Participants are placed in age groups to create optimal learning environments for academic enrichment. For more information call us today!
