Alcohol and Drug Prevention Among American Indian Families: The Family Circles Program

• NCJ Number: 170872
• Journal: Drugs & Society Volume: 12 Issue: 1/2 Dated: (1998) Pages: 53-60
• Author(s): K R Van Stelle; G A Allen; D P Moberg
• Date Published: 1998
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1H86SPO2403-01
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

The goal of the Family Circles Program was to prevent or reduce alcohol and drug abuse among American Indian high-risk youth on the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation in Wisconsin through cultural enhancement of their family systems.

Abstract

The program targeted families of high-risk youth who ranged in age from 4 to 18 years. A family systems approach was used that involved the entire family--children, adolescents, parents, and grandparents. A culturally-oriented curriculum was developed that emphasized American Indian values, beliefs, and practices and that related them to contemporary life. Program activities included language instruction, individual family outreach meetings, family cultural gatherings, support groups, and special family cultural celebrations. Factors that contributed to the success of the Family Circles Program included the development of interagency linkages, the retention of staff committed to the program's philosophy, and the evolution of the program into a comprehensive and holistic system of services for the entire community.