Abstract
M.A. (Social Work)
This study constitutes a-reaction to the paucity of professional attention devoted.- to the primary prevention of alcohol and drug abuse. The basic objective of the study was to develop a programme for the primary prevention of alcohol and drug abuse in Eersterust. This programme was intended to achieve the total upliftment of the community, aimed at an effective lifestyle and a new orientation to values, and was to induce a decline in alcohol and drug abuse in the community on the long term. This developmental effort manifested in the formulation of general principles and guidelines for the primary prevention of alcohol and drug abuse, in the form of a manual for community workers at clinics for alcoholics and drug dependants. This seeks to make community workers more conversant with the primary prevention of alcohol and drug abuse and to induce in them an appreciation of the value thereof in combating
the problem. Developmental research was utilized in the development of the new technological item. The developmental research and utilization model of Edwin Thomas was used as research design. In view of the unfamiliarity of developmental research, a separate chapter was devoted to this kind of research and the Thomas model. The different phases of the developmental research and utilization model used in the development of the programme for the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse, were the following: -The analysis phase, which included all the activities which preceded the development of the programme. These activities comprised of a problem analysis of Eersterust, a survey of the position of existing social technology in the handling of alcohol and drug abuse, a feasibility study and a comprehensive literature study.
-The development phase, which included the design and implementation of the programme for the primary prevention of alcohol and drug abuse. -The evaluation phase, which comprised the process evaluation as well as the evaluation of the outcome of the programme. The process evaluation was done on a continuous basis, in order to ensure that the programme complied with implementation standards and was tuned to achieving the objectives which were set. The evaluation of the outcome was done with a view to measuring the effectiveness of the programme in achieving objectives. -.The diffusion and adoption phases, which comprised activities such as
the preparation of means of dissemination, the dissemination of information
on the product and the possible implementation by consumers. The product of the developmental research process was presented in a separate chapter, in the form of a manual for community workers at clinics for alcoholics and drug dependants. The conclusion reached in the study was that unless community workers were to launch comprehensive primary preventive actions seeking the total upliftment of the community to an effective lifestyle and new orientations to values, the constant increase in alcohol and drug abuse will not be reduced.