Drug Abuse Action Planning and Key Risks - Essay Example

Drug Abuse Action Plan By Professor Class University City Date of submission Drug Abuse Action Plan Background to the Issue Drugs continue to sweep nations killing approximately 1400 teens annually. Besides, it’s abuse not only involves the youths but also the adults who in the end succumb to the negative effects associated with the drugs consumption. However, the teens are the most vulnerable to vulnerable to drug abuse. As a result, the action plan will be focussing on reducing the level and trend of consumption among the youths. Most teens globally engage in drug abuse thinking that it is cool or under the influence of the peers (Marcovitz, 2007, 122). Although most people, especially the youths, think that drug is a big part of the current world without realizing its mental, physical, and social negative effects. In the United States, approximately 12 million people abuse drugs while about 500,000 people in South Africa consume cocaine. Globally, Australia is known for sports and innovation. However, cases of drug abuse are currently havocking the country, which contributed for its emergence among the countries seriously using drugs after U.S. Spain, and Scotland as per the study conducted by United Nations in 2014, Word Drug Report. The Department of Corrective Services will be responsible for the implementation of the plan while working closely with other organizations and government departments like WA Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies (WANADA) and Drug and Alcohol Office (DAO) (Department of Corrective Services, 2010). To measure the effectiveness of the implemented plan, the department will utilize the data provided by the state agencies and non-governmental organizations regarding the drug abuse. Upon recognizing the effects of drug abuse menace on the youths, their families, and the economy, there is need for the immediate action that is far-reaching and impactful. The lives of the citizens especially the children and future generation depend on the comprehensive and collaborative efforts of both the state agencies and other non-governmental organization. Objectives of the Action Plan The main objectives of the action plan will be focusing on the prevention strategies and implementing intervention before the drug abuse issues entrench. Several strategies are required to reduce the demand of drug abuse consumption. To implement effectively the strategy the plan, it is important that the agencies involve individuals, families, and local communities with an aim of encouraging the development of healthy living style for the delay or avoidance of drug abuse. The prevention strategies meant for the offenders will address issues associated with health, education, treatment, and transition of the needs to allow the addicts acquire the knowledge related to drug harm and use. Concerning the action plan, the department will continue delivering gender specific health promotion and education among the drug addicts and mandatory education programs covering topics such as drug abuse, sexually transmitted infections, and blood borne diseases. The early intervention strategies that identify people at risk of succumbing to drug harm and use are required to avoid those factors likely to entrench them. Such initiatives include focusing on early identification of people likely to get involved with drug abuse and referring them to specialists who in turn offer treatment services (Brown & Anderson, 2008, pp.195). Intervention would assist in delaying the onset of drug abuse and related problems, especially among the children. Concerning its roles, the department will continue issuing the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Service helpline to support the addicts and prepare them even before entering the rehabilitation organizations. The action plan will also ensure the assessment of those presumed to engage in drug abuse using Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Indicator Screening Tool with the help of the Health Services Directorate. Moreover, it is crucial that the plan, in a bid to reduce the level of drug abuse, focuses on the age and culturally appropriate education systems and support services to the youth. To reach more people, the department will involve other organizations through contractual agreement, hire specialists from agencies such as the Australian Mission and Red Cross. Proposed Actions To solve the problems associated with drug abuse, it is important that all the stakeholders join hands in fighting the menace that is destroying the lives of many people. It is crucial to publicize the problems of drug abuse and offer assistance to the drug the users. For early prevention, much focus will be family counselling. Counselling is the first step when intending to address the problems of drug abuse. However, the users need to accept that they face some of the problems from which the counselling exercise will allow them to see the effects of drug abuse themselves. Family counselling also assists in supporting the drug addicts as primary socialization units besides addressing problems associated with domestic violence, which often result due to drug abuse. Focusing on the community and youth programs will help to keep their minds pre-occupied and teach them on the harmful effects of drug abuse. In addition, such programs offer the youths the alternative activities to carry out as leisure (Lunn, 2008, pp.6). Drug trafficking also increases case of drug abuse. To curb such practices, there is need to enforce laws that heavily punish drug users and traffickers. However, such laws should involve heavy fines and long sentences. With such laws, most people will avoid trafficking and with a limited supply of drugs, the problems of drug abuse will reduce even if it is not eradicated completely. Harsh laws are important and very effective in daunting the commission of crime. Communication is another aspect that requires improvement. Better communication between the addicts, youths, and family members will help solve the problem, as it will enable the youths to acquire advice on drug abuse. As a result, they will make appropriate decisions. Moreover, communication also provides opportunities to vulnerable people to be aware of the adverse effects of abusing drugs. Anticipated Outcomes While preventing or reducing the vulnerability of the people to drug abuse, family counselling plays an important role in ensuring their loved ones do not engage in the consumption of drugs. Therefore, family counselling will help offer advice to family members on the dangers associated with drug abuse thereby enhancing their view on upholding the ethical and moral view of the family. These activities will help reduce the susceptibility of the people especially the teens who still leave with the parents under the same roof. Furthermore, most people engage in drug abuse due to peer influence and inadequate activities that keep their mind pre-occupied with constructive activities. Through starting the programmes at local community levels, the department will reach the youths and other unemployed people likely to succumb to peer influence and engage in drug abuse. Engaging the youths, trough the established programmes, will drive off their minds from engaging in drug abuse, which in turn reduce the number of people using the drugs within the country. Before focusing on the drug users, it is important to commence the entire process with the cartels trafficking the drugs into the country. Upon identification of these drug barons, the start should implement full wrath of the law in a bid to prevent them from destroying more lives through trafficking the drugs. By arresting the suppliers, there will be destruction of the supply chain. As a result, the level of consumption will reduce owing to the decline in the availability of the drugs. Key roles and responsibilities The Corrective Services Department is a state agency charged with the responsibility of delivering professional correctional services and programmes that aim to reduce the risk of re-offending the public. As a result, it ensures enhancement of the public safety. Since it is important element of the criminal justice system, it manages both the offenders and addicts within the custody and community respectively. However, to ensure effectiveness while discharging all its mandates, the Department works closely in partnership with other government agencies and non-governmental organizations such as the Drug and Alcohol Office (DOA). Although the departments undertake many correctional issues associated with drug abuse, DOA is the main actor that ensure that the department reaches people at local level. On the other hand, DOA plays a crucial role in preventing, treating, educating, training, and researching into rates of the drugs and alcohol consumption across Australia. Since it offers treatment and counselling services, the department collects confidential information relating to medical diagnosis, prescriptions, and treatment. Organizational stuff uses paper based records of the client then, in turn, transfer the information to programmes that manage and record such sensitive information. To enhance its level of performance, DAO released the new version of its application identified as Services Information Management System 2 (SIMS2) in 2010. SIMS2 is an in-house application, which suits the needs of the stakeholders, and holds approximately 240,000 records of the clients across the state suffering from drug and alcohol abuse. Besides, DAO works closely with qualified doctors, nurses, psychologists, and pharmacists who ensure every aspect associated with drug abuse is taken care of. However, it is the responsibility of DAO to secure the information of the clients. It is also important to note that it is also the responsibility of DAO to submit data associated with drug abuse to the correctional department, which in turn submit the findings to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The information passed becomes part of the Alcohol and Other Treatment Services National Minimum Data Set (AODTS NMDS). The major role of the SIMS2 is to ensure that DAO collects and reports accurate information. It is the responsibility of the AIHW to use such information to give annual reports on alcohol and other drug treatment services offered in Australia. The information acquired from these reports assists in informing the national strategies on the drug abuse. Timelines and resources required Addressing drug abuse effects requires both financial and human resources. To reach many people, there is need to focus of methods of reaching the local communities through advertisements and educating the both the addicts and those likely to be vulnerable to drug abuse. Concerning the human resources, the Correctional Department works closely with the Drug and Alcohol Youth Service (DAYS) who offer professional services free with much emphasis on the confidentiality of the shared information. In addition, it offers treatment and support services to the young people whose challenges relate to drug and alcohol consumption. Through collaboration with DOA and Mission Australia, DAYS provides inpatient withdrawal and residential rehabilitation services, respite services, psychotherapy, and medical assessment for the youths. These partners also ensure accessibility to the doctors, nurses, psychologists, mentors, and drug and alcohol social workers who in turn offer education, recreational programmes, and complementary therapies. Since these activities require financial resources, Department of Correction and DOA depends on financial remittances from the central state and other non-governmental organizations. Table 1: Timeframe for the plan Key Risks The major challenge likely to affect the plan is inadequate funds allocated to reach many people. Every person involved in drug abuse requires assistance; therefore, with limited resources, the plan will reach fewer people making it difficult to reach some of the objectives. In addition, endorsing and completing the legal acts that enforce the adopted laws to offer harsh punishment for the traffickers require some political support. However, such campaigns for the acts might take time allowing the traffickers to take advantage of the prevailing situations. To cover all the budgetary costs for including all the affected parties require adequate financial support. As a result, with limited finance in place, the plan risks failing to cover its scope of operation. Reaching an agreement with subcontracting organizations might as well not proceed as planned making it difficult for the plan to reach some of its objectives. However, the stakeholders might decide to deal with some age bracket and fail to dispatch their professionals, which could deter the plan from reaching more people. There could also be risks associate with inadequate administrative capacities and human resources meant to address some of the crucial tasks, and lack of adequate commitment from some parties could compromise the implementation of the pan. Evaluation method The plan will use formative evaluation method to strengthen the objectives. Depending on the shortcoming from the plan, the evaluation method will ensure the improvement of the objectives through adjusting them to ensure that they are in line with the desired outcomes. Since the project will take a span of one year, to note whether the drug abuse prevention strategies and interventions that curb early engagement drug abuse, the evaluation process will commence in July. The major focus will be if there is decline in drug abuse. Towards the end of the project, the plan will use summative evaluation method to examine the effects or the outcomes of the plan. In addition, the evaluation method will summarise the plan through describing the activities that took place and assessed whether the plan delivered the outcomes in questions. References Brown, C. M., & Anderson, G. (2008). Acute Pain Management in the patient with substance abuse disorder: What are drug users using in Australia? Acute Pain, 10(3), 195. Department of Corrective Services. (2010). Drug and Alcohol Agency Action Plan 2010 – 2014. Retrieved from https://www.correctiveservices.wa.gov.au/_files/rehabilitation-services/drug-action-plan.pdf Lunn, S. (2008, January 25). Teenage drink and drug abuse rife. The Australian News, pp. 5-6. Marcovitz, H. (2007). Drug & alcohol abuse. Philadelphia: Mason Crest. Social Action Plan: Group Name Social Action plan: Team members:……………………………………………………………………. Description of the Issue: Objective 1: To prevent the increasing rate of drug abuse Proposed Actions Anticipated Outcomes Key Responsibilities Timelines and Resources Required Key Risks Evaluation Method Declined abuse rates Education Teachers and family members Inadequate support Formative More responsible youths Engagement programmes Finances Less funding Formative Reduced number of drug cartel Harsh laws and penalties Finances and political affiliation Less funding and commitment Formative Objective 2: To implement intervention strategies to curb the number of those abusing drugs Proposed Actions Anticipated Outcomes Key Responsibilities Timelines and Resources Required Key Risks Evaluation Method Reduced abuse rates Engagement programmes Doctors, psychologists Inconveniencies Summative Unavailable illicit drugs Arresting and prosecuting barons Finances and strict laws Inadequate support Summative Improved availability of information Advertisement of the plans Finances Less finances and embezzlement Summative Read More