counseling in secondary education

Explain that abused painkillers such as Oxycodone, Vicodin and methadone are responsible for more deaths than cocaine and heroin combined; that the fatalities have surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of accidental deaths in the United States. Viewers learn the dynamics of painkiller addiction and abuse through the personal stories of teens who have been hooked on legal pain killers. These teens describe the downward spiral of addiction that can eventually lead to death by overdose. Former users, physicians and drug education experts communicate the hard facts to viewers including how difficult it is for users to cope with withdrawal symptoms such as depression, anxiety, shakiness and lack of energy.

Video and print curriculum address the new craze of vaping drugs such as nicotine, alcohol, liquid marijuana and others. Through interviews with teen users and medical professionals, the program underlines the serious health risks of vaping, including drug overdose, instant high or drunk, alcohol poisoning, and impaired thinking and decision making. The narrator explains that vaping delivers an unknown dose of drugs or alcohol directly to the brain. Vaping nicotine is cited as a cause of hundreds of teens ending up in ER rooms.

Using an engaging combination of student interviews, humor, animations and expert commentary by leading health professionals, this program exposes the most common myths about sexually transmitted infections. While abstinence, including abstaining from oral sex, is the only way to completely avoid STI infections, the program stresses the importance of latex barriers for students who are sexually active. Students are encouraged to get tested if they have engaged in risky sex and students who may have symptoms of an STI are urged to see a clinician right away.

Worksheets and self-tests help potential dropouts personalize how to make decisions and set life goals.

Examines the develomental tasks and competencies that young people need to master in order to plan for and succeed in higher education. These include identity development, articulating aspirations and expectations, forming and maintaining strong peer and adult relationships, motivation and goal setting, and self-regulatory skills, such as planning.