After The Tour

We believe that it is very important to keep building on each participant’s motivation to not become addicted to anything after the tour is over. The vast majority of people who come on the tour walk away with a new found resolve to stop using, slow down or never start using anything. However in order for this to have a long-lasting effect, it is important to do something to “keep the ball rolling”. Organizations that bring kids on a tour can do their part by forming support groups for teens trying to stay clean, or by arranging for the kids to put together a presentation they can give to other youth who haven’t had a chance to come on a tour.

Here at the Scared Straight program, we also want to do our part to keep that momemtum going, and we love to keep in touch with our tour participants and the people who have talked to the kids, so we have set up a profile on Facebook for The Scared Straight Tour. You can easily become a “Friend” of the Scared Straight Tour and then post comments about what you thought of the tour. You can also upload pictures you took while on the tour and share them with the whole Scared Straight community. You can also read what other people have to say about the program and how they are managing to stay clean and sober. Friends can also post stories about how they are succeeding at staying clean or share how they might be struggling. Basically this will become an instant support system for anyone who is trying to stay away from using drugs and alcohol. Facebook friends can support, advise and encourage each other which will help everyone.

If you want to check out our Facebook page or become our “Facebook Friend” click the link on the right side of this page.

In addition to this, we will stay in touch with the youth (through the internet) to monitor how they are doing and will send them a Drug & Alcohol Using Survey every 6 months to evaluate how they doing in terms of abstaining from using drugs and alcohol. Not only is this an important component to ensure that the youth continue to do well long after the tour is over, but it also allows us to accumulate statistics to prove how effective this program is. As part of our commitment to monitoring the youth, we provide the following services:

-On-going support: should a youth who has come on the tour need some counselling or support, a certified addictions counsellor will communicate with them and try to hook them up with someone local who can provide them with the support they need.

-Every 6 months we will send the youth a questionnaire to determine if they have been using drugs or alcohol and if their usage has increased since the last survey. They will receive a report after each survey comparing their current level of usage to the previous surveys. This will help them see how well they are doing or if things are degrading. To see a copy of the survey click the following link: Substance Use Survey

-Immediate notification should we believe that a youth is at risk of harming him/herself or of harming someone else. Anyone who is working with youth and receives information that they, or someone they know, is at risk of being harmed are obligated by law to report this to someone in authority who can ensure their safety. We operate the same way and will notify someone immediately should we become concerned.

Other ways to ensure on-going success

There are other things that can be done to ensure that the youth who come on the tour continue to do well long after the tour is over. Some groups have made videos documenting their journey to the Downtown Eastside and have then gone around showing those videos to other youth. We can provide you with contact information of people who can work with the youth to make their own video.

We can also arrange for a qualified counsellor to offer workshops after the youth return to their home community. We can also work with you with consultation services to assist you setting up programs and services to help the youth stay clean. If you are interested in these services, simply contact us and we will discuss your needs.

After The Tour Video

This is a video that outlines how we are going to support you in your decision to stay away from drugs and alcohol after the tour is over.