drugs and violence.
Keepin’ It REAL (Refuse, Explain, Avoid, Leave) is an evidence based curriculum that teaches refusal skills, while also helping students realize the risk of drugs and avoid risky drug related situations by building decision-making and communication skills.
Special emphasis is placed on resistance strategies represented in the acronym REAL: Refuse offers to use substances, Explain why you do not want to use substances, Avoid situations in which substances are used, and Leave situations in which substances are used.
Keepin’ It REAL is implemented to fifth-graders for 10 sessions in Fairfield County Schools for 30 to 45 minutes per class.
Life Skills Training is an evidenced based curriculum proven to reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse, and violence by targeting the major social and psychological factors that promote the initiation of substance use and other risky behaviors.
Life Skills teach the students necessary skills to resist social pressures to smoke, drink and use drugs in addition to helping students develop greater self-esteem and confidence.
Life Skills is implemented to students in grades 6 through 8 for 10 sessions in Fairfield County Schools for 45 to 60 minutes per class. It also includes two years of booster with eight sessions in the second year and five sessions in the third year.
Healthy Promotions is designed to introduce students in grades 1 through 4 to the harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. In addition, students learn how nutrition and exercise play an important role in the development of their bodies.
Students learn how to identify a bully, the types of bullying, and who they can tell if they are the victims of a bully. Robertson enjoys teaching them the “baby shark” icebreaker and the importance of exercise being a part of their daily routine.
During September 2013 and November 2013, Keepin’ It REAL & Life Skills Training were conducted respectively at Fairfield Magnet School for Math & Science; Geiger Elementary (78 students completed); and Fairfield Middle School & McCrorey Liston School of Technology (149 students completed).
Curriculums were administered during the intervention periods at each school. Health Promotions were conducted from October to December at Geiger Elementary School and Fairfield Elementary School.
Collectively, Fairfield Behavioral Health Services has served 380 students the first part of the 2013-2014 school year.
“I enjoy teaching the students how to be confident and stand up for themselves,” said Edmonds.