coping with drug use

[Harrison Owen]

Well done Birgitt! And you might tell a little bit more. What I remember
from our conversations back in those days is that the kids involved not
only came back and talked - but also, and I think this is an important
point, seemed to grow in self-esteem. And that, of course is an
excellent way to start down the path of self-renewal.

Harrison

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20845
Phone 301-365-2093
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
<http://www.openspaceworld.com/>
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
Birgitt Williams
Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2004 11:44 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: coping with drug use

Dear Avner,
during the 90's we had many many OST meetings with two different groups
of youth in the inner city. One group were what are referred to as
'street youth'. The other group were new immigrant youth generally from
war torn countries. In both cases, drugs/gangs/violence were significant
complex and apparently hopeless issues. We didn't have much success
engaging the youth in discussions until we started having OST meetings.
We then had a lot of success in keeping the youth talking with us,
bringing their concerns to us, and so on as a result of the OST meetings
and the follow up we did from those meetings.

The professionals in the community were involved in the OST meetings and
often were really challenged by the youth to change their way of doing
this as professionals to help the youth.

We used the OST to reach the youth in a different way as a collective
instead of one to one approaches. We did not use the OST as a program to
get youth off of drugs. However, from the OST meetings, several youth
made decisions to change their lifestyles, developing the will to get
themselves out of gangs and off of drugs and so on. We then linked the
youth up with professionals and services that could best help them with
this specialty area. We referred youth to the 12 step programs including
Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, both of which as you
probably know have a good chance of really being helpful with
addictions. The OST meetings were 1. a gateway to development of the
will on the part of some youth to make changes and 2. provided guidance
to professionals and to the youth themselves of different ways of
support.

Blessings to you and to all with whom you make Genuine Contact,
Birgitt
Birgitt Williams of Dalar International Consultancy
<http://www.dalarinternational.com/> www.dalarinternational.com
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Avner
Haramati
Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2004 11:57 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: coping with drug use
Dear colleagues

A small city in Israel (about 50,000 people) is interested in the use of
OS on the issue of coping with overuse of drugs, especially among the
youth. The local agencies and the educational system feel quite
helpless.
Do any of you have an actual experience with this kind of OS?

Avner Haramati
Jerusalem
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