The mission of Rainbow Days, Inc. (RDI) is providing children living in high-risk situations with the skills and support they need to overcome adversity and stay drug free. This is not only our mission; it is the purpose of our Curriculum-Based Support Group (CBSG®) Program, our unique, evidence-based preventive intervention.
It is through the evaluation, enhancement, expansion, direct implementation, and training for replication of our CBSG® Program that we fulfill our mission.
Males and females, developmental ages 4-15, whose high-risk situations, attitudes and behaviors place them at elevated risk for future behavioral health problems.
High-risk situations are adverse childhood experiences that include: substance abusing/addicted parents/siblings; parents/siblings engaged in crime or violence; family/domestic violence; homelessness or living in severe poverty; and living/going to school in decaying, disorganized and/or crime/drug affected neighborhoods. High-risk situations do not provide the essential “protective factors” known to inoculate children against negative influences and psychosocial risks. High-risk situations “overwhelm children’s coping abilities” (the definition of “traumatic stress”.) Without intervention, traumatic stress can lead to diagnosable behavioral health disorders.
Children living in high-risk situations are the least likely to possess essential coping and social skills or the emotional and social support necessary to overcome traumatic stress and “succeed in spite of adversity” (the definition of “resiliency.”) Children with deficits in skills and support are less resilient and are at elevated risk for future behavioral health problems. The CBSG® Program teaches coping and social skills and provides the emotional support needed to reduce anti-social attitudes and rebellious behavior.
Substance use is one of the most powerful predictors for future behavioral health problems, including delinquency and interpersonal violence. The earlier the substance use/experimentation begins, the higher the risks for future problems. Children whose adverse childhood experiences overwhelm their ability to cope are more likely to use substances as a coping substitute. The CBSG® Program provides substance abuse prevention information and skills that prevent the onset of use/experimentation and interrupt use/experimentation before it escalates to abuse.
The CBSG® Program provides a research-based, interactive, multi-cultural curriculum. Lesson content and intent are essentially the same across all age groupings, but discussions and experiential activities - which are the foundation for each lesson - are targeted to specific ages/developmental levels, and adapted to address the unique needs of different implementation settings. There are different versions for different settings.
The support group sets the CBSG® Program apart from other preventive interventions and provides several unique advantages, including: small group numbers; additional time for discussion and skills practice; the emotional and social safety of a structured support group process, including group rules and confidentiality; opportunities for bonding; les stress; and the emotional support of a caring, trained group facilitator.
Empirical studies show that the CBSG® Program reduces anti-social attitudes and rebellious behavior, increases anti-drug-use attitudes and intentions, reduces early substance use/experimentation and increases coping and social skills. |
