from yaprap April-May 2009
The DRUMBEAT Program (Discovering Relationships Using Music -Beliefs, Emotions, Attitudes, & Thoughts) utilizes hand drumming to engage participants and explore commonalities between making music together as a group and developing healthy relationships.
A high proportion of the program is based upon experiential learning as participants engage in a co-operative process. The program also utilizes group discussions around analogies between music and relationships, as well as drawing on participants own real-life experiences.
The aim of the program is to increase participants social competencies and self-esteem in order to reduce their levels of alienation – a recognised ‘risk factor' in those with problematic drug and alcohol use. The program is run over ten sessions and explores issues around building healthy relationships, through a co-operative group process involving group drumming. Topics explored include peer pressure, emotions and feelings, identity, social responsibility and teamwork.
The DRUMBEAT program has now been delivered in schools, both primary & secondary as well as youth centres, drug & alcohol rehabilitation facilities and juvenile detention facilities.
A three day training program has been developed for the program with training held in both urban and regional areas across Australia. Trainees include teachers, drug and alcohol workers, youth workers, Aboriginal education officers, school psychologists, mental health workers and police.
DRUMBEAT has recently been endorsed by the WA Curriculum Council as an accredited unit of study in personal development for the Western Australian Certificate of Education. Students participating in DRUMBEAT in years 10, 11 and 12 can earn credit points towards their WACE qualification. The program is under consideration for similar status in other states. The 3 day facilitator training course is also accredited by the National Training Authority as a unit in group skills.
Developed in 2003 by the Wheatbelt Community Drug Service Team, the DRUMBEAT program has attracted wide interest for its ability to engage disaffected young people from different cultures and increase their competencies in a range of social skills, as well as lifting self-esteem and reducing social isolation. It has been particularly successful at engaging those young people averse to talk based therapies, including Aboriginal youth and newly arrived refugees.
Two formal evaluations of the DRUMBEAT program have been completed with the assistance of the Midlands Education District. Both of these used a before and after with control design, targeting 100 young people with behavioural issues at both primary and secondary schools. In these evaluations participants of the DRUMBEAT program were twice as likely to have improved their levels of co-operation in the classroom, improved their relationships with teachers and peers, raised their levels of self-esteem and increased their levels of emotional control. The second evaluation also measured school attendance where DRUMBEAT participants reduced their absenteeism rate by over 40%.
Background
Holyoake, the Australian Institute on Alcohol and Drug Addiction Resolutions:
- is a non profit, community based organisation. Donations over $2 are tax deductible.
- acquires the resources to provide its much needed services from donations, government contracts, fund raising and fee for service from those in a position to pay. 80% of funds are derived from government contracts and 20% are self-generated.
- has a unique focus offering help to all family members, regardless of whether or not the person with the alcohol or other drug problem seeks help.
- has conducted research which debunks the myth that you can't help the drinker or drug user until they admit a problem and seek help.
- is contracted by the Western Australia Drug and Alcohol Office, the Ministry of Justice and under the National Illicit Drug Strategy to provide a range of programs and services.
More information
See the youtube video at:
See the website:
Simon Faulkner
- Manager - DRUMBEAT
- (08) 9416 4444
- holyadmin@holyoake.org.au
Drumbeat presenter training
A three day training program has been developed for teachers, psychologists, youth-workers and drug & alcohol workers who are interested in delivering the program. The training includes detailed sessions on group facilitation and working with defiant youth as well as the structure of the DRUMBEAT program itself.
The training covers practical skills of working with youth, including managing challenging behaviours. It covers facilitation skills, therapeutic factors of group work and the implementation and evaluation of the DRUMBEAT program itself.
The training is accredited under the National Training Authority and comprises one day of working with youth and group facilitation skills, as well as two days of theory and practice in the DRUMBEAT program itself.
The program is made up of four areas ‐ drum songs, drum games with analogies, discussions linked to healthy relationships and a performance. Approximately 50% of the training is drum instruction. Participants do not need prior musical training.
DRUMBEAT Training is delivered by Simon Faulkner from Holyoake, the Australian Institute on Alcohol and Drug Addiction Resolutions. He is the developer of the DRUMBEAT early intervention program. He has been working in WA for the past 12 years as an addictions counsellor specializing in group work with adolescents and work with Aboriginal men.
Simon is committed to making the DRUMBEAT program accessible across Australia delivering the program in schools, prisons, drug & alcohol rehabilitation facilities, mental health services and youth centres. Simon is also an accredited facilitator in Village Music circles and in 2005 was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study rhythm based interventions with ‘at risk’ youth across north America.