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

Abstract

SUMMARY The goal of the Family Circles Program was the prevention or reduction of alcohol and drug abuse among American Indian High Risk Youth on the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation through cultural enhancement of their family systems. The project was targeted toward families of high risk youth, ranging from four to eighteen years of age. A family systems approach was utilized involving the entire family, children, adolescents, parents, and grandparents. A culturally-oriented curriculum was developed which emphasized American Indian values, beliefs, and practices, relating them to contemporary life. Factors which positively impacted the implementation of the Family Circles Program included the development of interagency linkages, the retention of staff committed to the program philosophy, and the evolution of the project into a comprehensive and holistic system of services for the entire community.