THE DAY PROGRAM WORKSHOP by Svetlana Ivanovic Teen Challenge Serbia Teen Challenge Staff Training Course T515.01 iTeenChallenge.org T515.01 9-2009 raskrsce teen challenge serbia

1. WHAT EXACTLY IS A DAY PROGRAM? It is program organized in such a way that students attend the Teen Challenge facility/office during the day and stay at their own home during the night. T515.01 9-2009

2. WHAT ARE THE MAIN REASONS FOR STARTING A DAY PROGRAM? When we do not yet have residential premises. Before starting a residential program when we want to learn the basics of rehabilitation and dynamics among people, when we do not yet have enough experience. T515.01 9-2009

2. WHAT ARE THE MAIN REASONS FOR STARTING A DAY PROGRAM? When we do not have a residential program for one gender (either male or female) T515.01 9-2009

3. WHAT DO WE NEED TO START A DAY PROGRAM? It is a very ‘low cost’ operation and is easy to initiate, especially in difficult start up financial situations when Teen Challenge is just setting up in a country or a city! You need: > one classroom (which could be at the same time your coffee house premises). It needs to be in the city > one staff member (program teacher) > Volunteers > YOU—the director T515.01 9-2009

4. WHAT MAKES UP A DAY PROGRAM? A Day program consists of similar components to a residential Teen Challenge program: Structured daily schedule Teen Challenge curriculum Living Free (Turning Point) groups Counseling Social activities Work Measurable chart of student progress (program is divided into phases) T515.01 9-2009

5. WHAT DOES THE DAY PROGRAM DAILY SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE? Students have breakfast at home and are brought to the program by someone from the family. The meeting time should not be too early but also not too late! We suggest starting at 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning. T515.01 9-2009

C. Sample DAILY SCHEDULE Arrival time = 30 minutes coffee time 30 minutes morning prayer Lessons / counseling / “Hour of light” ( 1½ – 2 hours) Break Lunch (they bring packed lunch from home) T515.01 9-2009

C. Sample DAILY SCHEDULE Afternoon: work (cleaning of the office/gardening/small business work) creative therapy (water colours, creative writing, music) social activities: games homework reading visit to some carefully chosen place such as church/park, etc. Student worship and prayer T515.01 9-2009

C. Sample DAILY SCHEDULE Evening: Students can be picked up by a family member at 5 or 6 o’clock, with a clear joint agreement how they will spend the evening. It can be verbally agreed between the staff member/student/family member at time of departure. T515.01 9-2009

6. WHAT DOES THE DAY PROGRAM WEEKLY SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE? Monday TC curriculum morning/afternoon work Tuesday Living Free (Turning Point) morning/afternoon social activities Wednesday Counseling morning or “Hour of light”/afternoon work Thursday TC curriculum morning/afternoon creative therapy Friday TC curriculum morning/afternoon student time of worship & prayer Saturday Day with volunteers and home Sunday Church service and home T515.01 9-2009

7. WEEKEND SCHEDULE Weekends should be planned in advance with student family and volunteers. Saturday morning can be in the office but in relaxed atmosphere Lunch and half of the afternoon with volunteers…evening at home including a phone call to the counselor Sunday morning Church Service (with a familly member) Sunday afternoon student is at home resting T515.01 9-2009 raskrsce teen challenge serbia

8. USING VOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEERS should be carefully chosen from stable Christian couples/friends who are aware to some extent of Teen Challenge principles of rehabilitation. VOLUNTEERS BROCHURE with instructions, such as…not to give students money, not to burden students with ‘deep theologies’, not to give them use of the phone at any time. T515.01 9-2009

9. INTERVIEWING POTENTIAL STUDENTS Ask and have clear agreement that future student is totally willing to submit to the ‘controlling’ parent/spouse/friend authority. Establish that the ‘controlling’ person, during the time out of Teen Challenge premises, is a partner in the program and must be treated as part of the program authority. Discussion and agreement about the withdrawal period (whether somebody from Teen Challenge will come and stay with the student in their home all the way through the withdrawal, or the student will come to the home of a Teen Challenge friend, or it will be in hospital) T515.01 9-2009

9. INTERVIEWING POTENTIAL STUDENTS Make specific plan in details about the transfer from the hospital (with whom, how, when etc.) Have regular Teen Challenge program contract with the future student with emphasis on: phone call total restriction, isolation from all kind of friends, limited social activities (no outings during evenings), control Make agreement that no other medication will be taken during the program Make agreement about smoking restrictions although you can not fully control it T515.01 9-2009

10. INTERVIEWING PARENTS / SPOUSE / FRIENDS Make clear agreement with ‘controlling’ person about sincere and full cooperation with the program and Teen Challenge staff Repeat the results of the interview with the student point by point (mentioned above) Sign contract with the parent (MUST BE OBLIGATED NOT TO HIDE ANY MISTAKES OF THE STUDENT, MUST REMOVE ALL MEDICATION FROM THE HOME, MUST NOT GIVE MONEY TO THE STUDENT, MUST CONTROL THE PHONE, NO ALCOHOL ) T515.01 9-2009

11. WHAT ARE THE WEAK POINTS OF A DAY PROGRAM? Undiscovered ‘games’ between ‘controlling’ person and the student that are taking place at home Mechanism of control and discipline can not be fully applied Activities with only one member of staff can become pretty boring T515.01 9-2009

12. WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF A DAY PROGRAM? ‘Controlling’ person at home is hiding that student is still having contact with old friends - POSSIBLE POSSESSION/USAGE OF DRUGS AT TC PREMISES Student is not properly controlled for tobacco/medication - POSSIBLE DISTRIBUTION OF CIGARETTES/MEDICATION TO OTHERS WHO HAVE PROPER CONTROL If program is of mixed gender - POSSIBLE DESTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND ‘GAMES’ T515.01 9-2009

13. WHO CAN NOT BE ADMITTED? Addicts who are extremely heavy cases Addicts who do not have a ‘controlling’ person Addicts whose ‘controlling’ person is not trustworthy enough or has an addiction to alcohol/medications Addicts whose ‘controlling’ person is reliable, but other family members are not T515.01 9-2009

14. SUCCESS OF THE DAY PROGRAM IN SERBIA We still have relationships with many of those who went through the TC Day Program before we started the TC residential program. Here are 3 success stories T515.01 9-2009

Djoka and Daca are Day program graduates Today they are happily married and both in the ministry Djoka is a staff member in TC women’s program Daca is teaching TC prevention in schools and responsible for one of the small businesses in TC T515.01 9-2009

DRAGO Graduate of Teen Challenge Day program T515.01 9-2009

Contact Information Teen Challenge Serbia Director: Sasa Ivanovic Brace Ribnikar 59 Novi Sad, VOJVODINA 21000 Serbia Phone: +381-21-540-578 Email: sasa.ivanovic@neobee.net Website: www.raskrsce.org.rs T515.01 9-2009

Contact Information Global Teen Challenge www.Globaltc.org www.iTeenChallenge.org T515.01 9-2009