Younger Group Program 2012 https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2012/younger-group-program-2012 https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

Younger Group Program 2012

Additional Information
Used for	Support from the Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation will be used to partially underwrite the activities and services of the Younger Group Program for youth ages 12 to 17 who are struggling with the ravages of drug and/or alcohol addiction. This includes, but is not limited to, making counselors (all of whom have "been there/done that") available, a day room in which to "hang out", structured activities, and regularly scheduled 12-step meetings.
Benefits	The impact of our program is made one young person at a time, one day at a time. It is felt every day when a young person fighting a substance abuse issue returns to PDAP to participate in a meeting, a sober social activity, or just to visit for a hug and an unconditional “I love you.” No matter how often a person falls down in his or her quest for sobriety, PDAP is here to help and support that person on the journey to a clean and sober life.
Proposal Description	PDAP offers free 12-step support group services for teenagers (ages 12 to 17) who express a desire to find an alternative to drug and alcohol use. Specifically, we offer counseling services, a safe day area, evening and weekend activities, retreats, and 12-step support group for teens and pre-teens. Working in three different cities (Corpus Christi, Kingsville and Alice), PDAP’s impact is widespread in the Coastal Bend. The numbers fluctuate, but the reality remains the same—drug abuse and alcoholism are an unfortunate part of our teens and young folks’ lives. In fact, some of our clients deny they have a problem right up to the day they die. Our staff attends a sad number of funerals for those who never found their way to a clean life. Because drug use does not occur in a vacuum, we also offer a separate support group for the parents of these teens who seek solutions to family and personal conflicts arising from their child’s use drug or alcohol. To prevent drug use becoming a familial “norm”, we also offer “PDAP Pee Wee’s”, an early intervention and prevention program for siblings of addicts from ages five to twelve. The need for PDAP continues to grow with the proliferation of ever newer forms of chemical abuse.Most recently, Baylor University completed a lengthy study of Teens at High Risk in which they named Palmer Drug Abuse Program as having one of the most successful treatment models offered to teens and young adults. The study states the national average for relapse of teens is approximately 50-90%, while the teen relapse rate with programs such as Palmer Drug Abuse is only 8-11%. Overall the recovery rate for programs such as PDAP is greater than 85%, while the nationwide recovery rate is approximately 30%. With the recent rise in drug abuse among teens and young adults it is clear that our presence in the community is more important than ever