Responsible organization: Antropos
Purpose of the program:
One of the essential tasks of the youth worker is prevention; organize modern drug prevention workshops for young people from disadvantaged social groups. Therefore, the training aimed primarily to educate youth workers to organize and lead drug prevention workshops.
Education topics: development of addiction, drug use habits of young people, psychology of adolescence, adolescent deviance, innovative drug prevention - peer support, helping methods (literary therapy, story therapy, psychodrama, supportive conversation techniques, etc.), competence, and presentation of care systems.
Program leaders/lectures:
- Ricz Dencs Tünde - mental health specialist, psychodrama psychotherapist, story therapist, candidate family therapist, Antropos Mentálhigiéné Egyesület, Szabadka,
- Bea Sárcsevity Hajdú - social worker and social politician, Szent Gellért Társaság, Szeged,
Guest lectures:
- Ágoston Gabriella - Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
- Dr. Zoltán Sági - neuropsychiatrist, psychotherapist
- Berényi Emőke - literary therapist
Date: between 27- 30. October 2022.
Content:
The content of the education was compiled in such a way that all the exercises can be used by youth workers when working on their workshops.
The first day (27.10.2022):
At the beginning of the education, we explained the project's goals and schedule, the youth helpers' tasks, and their roles in the project.
On the first day, we played icebreakers and prepared for the topic with games. We started the education with a short introduction, and the participant wrote down the expectations on a sticker, which we discussed on the last day. We played icebreaker games that they could use in their workshops. This games were very different. Movement, rhythm, and competition in the games were all independent of age groups. We tried to take on those that include name-learning and tension-relieving ones. Firs game about addiction was a puzzle. We printed puzzles about the artwork of various drug user artists. The team had to solve the puzzle and find out which famous painter made it; after that, we discussed their addict habits and life path. The relationships building process helped the dinner after the session.
The purpose of this day was for the team to get to know each other better and to strengthen the relationship and cooperation between youth worker teams from different countries.
The second day (28.10.2022):
On the second day, we dealt with the topic of addiction. After that, our topic was drug addiction, and participants were divided into five groups; each group received a poster with a drug group (sedative, stimulant, hallucinogen, marijuana, alcohol). Each group had to write their associations (representatives, effects, etc.). After a few minutes, the groups changed like a rotary stage, and everyone tried to add new associations to the other drug group. When each group returned to their starting place, they summarized the poster's duration and published it as a sculpture.
In the afternoon, we talk about the development of addiction and the causes of the action. The participants worked in groups, and each group was given a reason (family, contemporary community, society). It is necessary to collect on one sheet their knowledge about the cause, what creates and maintains drug use and what prevents drug use. After that, you have to play a scene. After that, we discussed the reasons within certain groups that can lead them to stop using drugs. What does prevention mean? And what prevention types do we know? Afterward, we discussed harm reduction and rehabilitation, self-help groups, and how they work. In the last part of the day, we listened to Gabriella Ágoston's presentation on the operation of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in Subotica. The young people were interested and open, so we discussed the presentation.
Third day (29.10.2022):
On the third day, Dr. Zoltán Sági, neuropsychiatrist and psychotherapist, gave a lecture entitled The causes of the development of addictions and their treatment options. The presentation covered the causes of substance abuse, the various drugs, and treatment options in Serbia. The young people showed great interest in the production.
During the rest of the day, we will explain and show different workshop methods and techniques (story therapy, literature therapy, supportive conversation) and discuss how to build the workshop. In literature therapy, the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf had to be analyzed from the perspective of the characters. We analyzed the story separately from each character's perspective, thus increasing empathy and critical thinking. We strengthened the recognition that a life situation means something different to each character. We heard a folk tale about a red shoe and its wearer during the storytelling. The girl's relationship with the red shoe nicely describes the process of addiction. It allowed us to talk about the process of addiction and the possibilities of involving a helper in which situations help can be provided. Finally, the groups had to develop the first workshop plan we discussed. We discussed the difficulties in realizing the workshops.
Fourth day (30.10.2022):
On the last day, the youth worker still had many questions regarding the workshop lead. We talked about these and clarified the limits of competence. We talked about whom they can turn to if they notice a problem and how they can initiate a helpful conversation. We made a collection of games, which we presented, and we discussed the construction of the workshop again. We talked about the dynamics of the group, based on which aspects it is worth forming the groups, what to pay attention to, e.g., age group.
On the closing day, we discussed the feelings and experiences of the participants regarding the training and talked about the expectations written on the first day.
On the last day, we prepared an evaluation and clarified the questions about addictions; after that, we provided a free time activity so that each group could get to know the beauties of Subotica and Palic at their own pace.
