Development of a Leadership Plan on Drugs - Research Paper Example

? Development of a Leadership Plan on Drugs Development of a Leadership Plan on Drugs Drugs comprise anything apart from food or water which, when ingested, alters the normal body or mind function. Examples of drugs entail cocaine, alcohol and steroids and can either be injected, swallowed or smoked into one’s body. They give false perception to the drug addicts and make someone perceive him/herself to be strong and a champion even if such situations cannot be true. Drugs addicts pose serious problems for the society since they contradict the norms laid out in it. Therefore, this reason caused the need for public address on the issue of drug use, especially among the youths (Dolch &Deutschmann, 2007). This has led to the emergence of several rehabilitation centers and organizations to assist drug addicts within Ohio State. Lome Counseling and Support Group are a volunteer association initiated by five members who had a passion to help drug addicts abandon their destructive activities in the society. It was started in the year 2000 and has grown immensely due to the support from the government, private organizations and well-wishers who had the passion to reduce the rate of drug use. The group is located in Ohio State and has several branches and support centers within the state which assist various groups of people involved in drug use (Schuckit et al., 1996). Lome is headed with a CEO named James Bond and a deputy director. The other three members are involved in the daily management of the organization and in various administrative posts within the association. All of the five members were initial drug users who had undergone rehabilitation and thus have the passion to assist other people engaged in drug use. Program Description Lome consists of various technocrats and experts within its premises who help in the rehabilitation of drug addicts. The program runs through various communities and targets specific people who engage in drugs and substance abuse for various reasons. Consequently, Lome targets drug dealers who sell the drugs to young people in middle and higher learning institutions (Hanson, Venturelli & Fleckenstein, 2011). The program first identifies groups of people and institutions who are at risk of using drugs such as alcohol, cocaine, marijuana among other drugs. Afterwards, the program rolls out plan of reaching them through the organization of workshops, sports, seminars and training program. During the meeting session, the program coordinators engage with drugs and substance users by discussing various negative impacts of drugs on the users and seeking their views. Thereafter, the coordinators of the program advise the youths on various ways of stopping using drugs. The program also incorporates involvement of the youths are the most affected in activities that make them exploit their talents and engage in constructive activities. For instance, the organization arranges sporting activities amongst schools, various estate teams, debates, seminars and various forms of competitions within the society, thus minimizing time available for the youths to engage in drug use (National Youth Network, 2011). The group takes various drug addicts to the several centers it has opened thus ensuring the youths are looked after during the recovery period. Relation of the Program to Selected SP Chapter Lome Counseling and Support Center mainly focuses on drugs and substance abuse in the Ohio State. This is a serious social problem within many societies since it erodes social norms set out to be observed by everyone in the society. This happens when the drug addicts rebel against parents, elder people or even their own family members and only associate with fellow drug users. This was the main reason for establishing the program within Ohio State. The program explores various means of curbing incidences of drug use among the youths who constitute a sizable percentage of learning students. Through the program, the plan is to provide both moral, emotional, physical and mental strength and support to the large number of youths who resort to drugs as a means of escaping the reality (Heidtke, 2011). Since drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and overconsumption of alcohol contributed to the various problems witnessed within Ohio. At the same time the Lome counseling and support program relates to the SP Chapter as it gives guidelines and leadership skills to the youths mainly engaged in drug use and trafficking outside Ohio all over America. The issue of drug and substance abuse is a social problem which calls for everyone’s participation in reducing its negative impacts on the economy of USA (Mooney, Knox & Schacht, 2009). Activity to be led within the Program The main activity to be led within the program entails rehabilitating youths engaged in drugs use while still young. This is because drug use is not just detrimental to the lives of the youths but also to their future. Most promising youths grow and become ambitious, but once they engage in drug use, they become disillusioned and do not want to associate with the reality of life. Therefore, the rehabilitation program leads to providing the required leadership skills and techniques on dealing with the menace thus contributing to saving the lives of thousands of students who could otherwise engage in drug and substance use or drug trade (Mooney, Knox & Schacht, 2009). The program confronts the issue of drugs and substance use with the utmost care since it is a sensitive matter in the society. The program’s first priority is to identify various groups of people who use drugs and then to meet them in order to seek a solution on the issue. Lome’s program gives more emphasis on rehabilitation of the drug addicts and traffickers in the society so that they can see the evil side of continual usage of or dealing in drugs. The purpose of this is to make the addicted youths become reliable members of the society and live by the social norms of the society through transformation (Schuckit et al., 1996). Leadership Plan Leadership plan is the most significant aspect of every organization that seeks for success. Therefore, most organizations need to develop leadership plan so that it can function as the guideline or framework of achieving success during the operations of a given institution. Lome Counseling and Center in its quest to achieve its success has strong leadership plan, thus ensuring success in curbing the rising incidences of drug and substance abuse among the youthful Ohioans (Dolch &Deutschmann, 2007). In order to achieve the success, the group has devised some practices for all its members. These practices entail the following: 1. Creating long-range goals and putting in place a strategic plan that focuses on the elements of an effective counseling and support group. The major goal of the group is to curb the rising cases of drug and substance abuse among the youths. 2. Maintaining open lines or avenues for communication. Communication is an essential element of proper leadership plan, thus enabling effective and proper dissemination of appropriate information to other members and the patients under rehabilitation. Through proper communication, the organization connects with various drugs addicts and shares certain information that might be useful to the patients. 3. Convening regular organization meetings to access the progress and the achievement of the goals set by the organization members. Through such meetings, the organization gets a chance of sharing appropriate information among the drugs addicts, relevant private and government bodies and other stakeholders. 4. Amend the organization bylaws to imitate current practices. Since change is something inevitable, it is appropriate to amend some of the old laws so that they focus more on current and emerging challenges in dealing with drug and substance use among the youths. 5. Offer frequent and steady training to various branch officials and staff members to impart modern and practicable information to deal with drugs and substance use in specific locations. 6. Offering opportunities for networking, as well as socializing among the members, staff, recovering drug addicts within the society and other stakeholders. Networking and socializing are suitable since they connect various participants in drugs and substance abuse, thus sharing of information and experiences could be vital for the curbing of the threat. 7. Involve all stakeholders and members of the organization who have passion and aspiration to see a free and safe society free from drug users and traffickers. This assists in bringing together potential persons affected by and infected with the dangerous behavior. By involving all of the stakeholders, there is a high chance of solving the problem of drug use which is a serious social problem within the society. References Dolch, N. A., & Deutschmann, L. B. (2007). Social problems: a case study approach. Virginia: Lexington Books. Hanson, G. R., Venturelli, P. J., & Fleckenstein, A. E. (2011). Drugs and Society. London: Jones and Bartlett Learning International. Heidtke, A. (2011). Eating disorders and substance abuse. Psychology Department. Retrieved from http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/substance.htm on 10.11.2011. Mooney, L. A., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. ( 2009). Understanding Social Problems. Ohio: WadsWorth Cengage Learning. National Youth Network. ( 2011). Teen Substance Abuse and Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment. Retrieved from< http://www.nationalyouth.com/substanceabuse.htm>l on 10. 11. 2011. Schuckit, M., Tipp, J., Anthenelli, R. & Bucholz, K. (1996). Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa in Alcohol Dependent Men and Women and their Relatives. The American Journal of Psychiatrity, 153, 75- . Read More