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Guiding Good Choices® Facts, Frequently Asked Questions, and Training Information

Program Facts | Program FAQs | Training

Program Facts

Summary:

The Guiding Good Choices program is an easy-to-implement, proven-effective drug prevention program that seeks to give parents the skills they need to help reduce their children's risk for using alcohol and other drugs.

Goal:

The goal of the Guiding Good Choices program is to prevent substance abuse among teens by teaching parents effective family management and communication skills before their children enter adolescence.

Target Audience:

Parents of children in grades 4-8 (ages 9-14)

Program Length:

The typical implementation is 5 workshops.

Program Materials:

  • Workshop Leader's Guide (2 copies)
  • Workshop Video (2 copies)
  • Family Guide (2 copies)
    Every family should have its own. Additional Family Guides are available.
  • 2 CDs for PowerPoint® presentations and handouts
    (One is included in each Workshop Leader's Guide.)
  • Evaluation tools -- The Workshop Leader's Guide contains pre- and post-tests for each session and instructions for analyzing the results.

Providers:

Teachers, parent educators, and others who are comfortable facilitating workshops for adults

Sustainable program effects!

In just five sessions, the Guiding Good Choices program can improve substance abuse outcomes for up to 10 years!

Effectiveness:

In a 4-year follow-up study,* the Guiding Good Choices program was shown to:

  • reduce current alcohol use by 40.6%
  • significantly reduce the rates of initiation for marijuana use and drunkenness.

A follow-up study** showed that young adults whose parents attended the Guiding Good Choices program 10 years earlier were:

  • 9% less likely to get drunk
  • 11% less likely to have alcohol-related problems
  • 11% less likely to smoke cigarettes
  • 16% less likely to use illicit drugs
  • 10% more likely to be free of all measured substance abuse problems.

In other clinical studies,* the Guiding Good Choices program has been shown to:

  • reduce the likelihood that experimental users will advance to heavier use by 54%
  • increase the likelihood that non-users will remain drug-free by 26%.
  • reduce the likelihood that young people will commit delinquent acts.

In a randomized clinical trial, the program was found to significantly reduce the rate at which adolescents develop depression. For one of the symptoms of depression -- feelings of worthlessness and inferiority -- risk reduction was as high as 28%. The program was also found to significantly slow the typical rate at which multiple substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs) increases during adolescence.***

*at 2- or 4-year follow-up, compared to a control group of children whose parents did not participate in the program. Source: Original studies published in Prevention Science and the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Specific citations are available upon request.

**at 10-year follow-up, compared to a control group of adolescents whose parents did not participate in the program. Source: Original study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Specific citation is available upon request.

***Program tested under its previous name, Preparing for the Drug-Free Years (PDFY). Mason, W.A., Kosterman, R., Hawkins, J.D., Haggerty, K.P., Spoth, R.L., Redmond, C., (2007). Influence of a Family-Focused Substance Use Preventive Intervention on Growth in Adolescent Depressive Symptoms. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 17(3), 541-564.

Duration of Effects:

Up to ten years after program completion

Near perfect score!
Dissemination
3.5 points out of 4, National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (Recognized as a Model Program under SAMHSA's previous evaluation system)

Perfect score!
Program materials
SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP)

Recognition:

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED:

  • Model Program (the highest possible rating)
    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
  • Perfect score -- program materials
    SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP)
  • Near perfect score -- dissemination
    3.5 points out of 4 in SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP)
  • Model Program (the highest possible rating)
    National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
  • Exemplary 1 Program (the highest possible rating)
    Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
  • Promising Program
    Department of Education's Expert Panel, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program
  • Promising Program
    University of Colorado's Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence
  • Research-based program with positive results
    National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
  • Best Practice
    Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (CASAT)
  • Evidence-Based Program
    United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
  • Level 1 Program (the highest possible rating)
  • Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP)

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Program FAQs

What is the Guiding Good Choices program?

The Guiding Good Choices program is a research-based substance abuse prevention program that teaches parents of preteens and younger adolescents the skills they need to improve family communication and family bonding. It draws on extensive research that demonstrates the critical importance of bonding in reducing or inhibiting adolescent participation in antisocial behaviors.

Who developed the Guiding Good Choices program?

It was developed by J. David Hawkins, Ph.D., and Richard F. Catalano, Ph.D., professors of social work and directors of the Social Development Research Group at the University of Washington. Dr. Hawkins and Dr. Catalano, pioneers in the field of prevention research and developers of the Social Development Theory, are internationally known for their groundbreaking work in the area of risk and protective factors.

How do we know that the Guiding Good Choices program works?

The Guiding Good Choices program has been shown to significantly slow the typical rate at which multiple substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs) increases during adolescence. Source: The original studies were published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Specific citations are available upon request. It has also been shown to improve substance abuse outcomes for up to ten years. The original study was published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Specific citation is available upon request.

How long is the Guiding Good Choices program, and how is it structured?

It typically takes place over 10 hours of parent participation in five 2-hour workshops. Guided by workbook- and video-based discussion modules, participants learn how to reduce risk, develop healthy beliefs and clear standards, gain refusal skills, manage family conflict, and strengthen family bonds.

How much does the Guiding Good Choices program cost?

The Core Program costs just $881. The Workshop Leader's Package (includes the Core Program plus 25 Family Guides) costs $1,133. Additional Family Guides are available at $14.69 each; volume discounts are available. (Please note: Every family should have its own Family Guide.) Prices subject to change without notice.

Where can we get more information about the Guiding Good Choices program?

Call us toll free at 1-877-896-8532.

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Training

Training is available from certified, experienced trainers who will assist in the implementation of the program and help ensure its fidelity. The training contact for Guiding Good Choices is:
Dr. Dorothy Ghylin
81 NW Doncee Dr.
Bremerton, WA 98311-9110
(360) 649-8903 (mobile) or (360) 692-9986
(360) 613-0726 (fax)
dr.d.ghylin@comcast.net

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