P.A.R.T.Y, an acronym for Preventing Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma in Youth, is a program that promotes smart decisions by youth concerning life choices. It is an interactive program that encourages youth to understand and pay attention to the outcomes that may result through their choices.
It has been decided that a mock car crash will be set up on May 1 northwest of the Prairie Place Complex for the grade 10 to 12 students of Arcola. This will include sirens and emergency personnel in the area. EMS, RCMP, the coroner, as well as Fire and Rescue will be at the scene to create a sense of realism for the scenario. Please keep in mind that this is an event staged for the grade 10 to 12 students. It is emphasized that this is only a mock car crash.
In addition to the mock car crash the students will participate in a full day of interaction focused on the dangers of such decisions as drinking and driving. The intention of the day is to follow the path of an injury survivor as they meet each professional along their journey to recovery. There will be smaller group sessions, therefore, set up after the mock crash that are focused on the experiences of EMS/Fire and Rescue, RCMP, and the Emergency Room.
The complex will also have addiction Services will be set up, as well as a funeral home in the complex. Hall Funeral Services out of Estevan have agreed to participate. There will also be a focus on rehabilitation after serious injury. P.A.R.T.Y has given specific outlines for these personnel to follow. Coupled with their experiences this is sure to be an extremely informative day.
The students will then partake in 'Lunch with an Injury.' Through certain means the students will be made to have lunch in a variety of scenarios including that of a possible amputee or as being blind. Through these assigned "disabilities" they will have to then dish up their plates and sit down to eat. It's a small thing to do for youth to realize how serious injuries can affect something as simple as eating. Simple tasks can be made difficult and this is one way to show how certain tasks throughout the day can be taken for granted.
The day will continue with speakers who will then address the students about key messages P.A.R.T.Y hopes they take away from the day. A guest speaker, Clayton Yukoski, will then speak of his experiences concerning injury and the reality of living after the fact.
The impact of the day will bring awareness to what happens when you're no longer "lucky" and become injured through a bad decision. The emotional and informative day will conclude with a debriefing, where a mental health social worker will address concerns. The hope is to give students the knowledge they need to make the right decisions when faced with a choice, such as choosing not to get into a vehicle with a driver who has been drinking.
Ultimately the day will address decisions youth don't always think through when the choice presents itself. The feeling of invincibility in youth seems to be in their minds, but this is very much not true. Nobody is invincible and living with an injury for one's entire life, especially when it could have been avoided, is an extremely difficult thing to deal with. This is made even more realistic when according to P.A.R.T.Y research 90 percent of injuries are estimated as being preventable.
In 2009 the Arcola chapter of P.A.R.T.Y put on the first of these days, which was a great success. The intention is to hold this event every three years. The event organizer, Auldene Craig, stated: "Students and even the volunteering adults found it an extremely valuable experience the last time it was held." Waiting three years between holding mock crashes ensures a new group of students to deliver the message to.
Lorie Herchuk Norris the South Saskatchewan Acquired Brain Injury Education and Prevention Coordinator, has been involved in planning the day with Craig. She was able to initially inform those involved with planning on the experience of the day and to explain the time and commitment this would take. Herchuk Norris will also be in attendance of the event to address the youth.
"We hope to prevent an injury and save a life." said Craig.
The P.A.R.T.Y program was created in Toronto at Sunnybrook and Women's Wellness College Health Sciences Centre, in 1986. They hoped to educate teens concerning the consequences to risk-taking behaviours. It has since flourished reaching around the world, such as Germany and Japan. In Saskatchewan there are about 50 communities who have decided to partake in the program.
