Pubdate: Sun, 25 Jan 2009
Source: Salisbury Post (NC)
Copyright: 2009 Post Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.salisburypost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/380
Author: Judy Grissom
Note:  Dr. Judy Grissom is superintendent of the Rowan-Salisbury 
Schools System.
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08.n1124.a08.html
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

INTERVENTION - HELP GOES BEYOND DRUGS

As a follow-up of the recent article about student abuse of 
prescription medications, many people have asked about what types of 
support services are available, in addition to classroom teachers and 
administrators in the Rowan-Salisbury School System, to help students 
with drug problems.

The next few articles will highlight some of the various support 
positions within the school system and their role in addressing many 
student issues.

In the early 1990s, funds from a federal substance abuse prevention 
program were used to hire the first intervention specialists in the 
school system. Drug policies and assessment were put into place in 
the code of conduct, which also solidified the responsibilities of 
the position for the intervention specialist.

Since the 1990s, the program and realm of responsibilities have grown 
for this group. The school system now has an intervention specialist 
at each middle school and each high school for a total of 13 and one 
transition specialist at Henderson. All are certified in either 
counseling or school social work due to the No Child Left Behind 
highly qualified guidelines. As the title denotes, the intervention 
specialists are present in the schools to "intervene" with 
appropriate resources and assistance to at-risk students. Personnel 
such as the intervention specialists can play an important role in 
helping students to make healthy choices.

Intervention specialists handle all student drug infractions and are 
the drug testing coordinators at their sites. All high schools in the 
Rowan-Salisbury School System offer the "CHOICES" Program, a 
voluntary random drug-testing program. Parent permission for a 
student to participate is required. Students who desire to purchase a 
campus-parking permit must agree to participate in the program and be 
randomly drug tested (beginning in September and ending in May).

Participation in the CHOICES program has been minimal this year. Most 
of the students who have been tested are students with parking 
permits. All students who participate in allied health must have a 
drug test to be placed in a clinical setting.

Monthly, random, confidential testing results will only be released 
to parents and individuals involved in the intervention process, 
including the administrator of the school. A positive test result for 
students participating in CHOICES will not result in suspension nor 
affect the student's grades, but parking permits are revoked for 90 days.

However, participation in CHOICES does not excuse students from any 
sanction outlined in the substance abuse policy if the behavior 
suggests or evidence indicates a violation of the policy.

Between September and November of 2008, 290 students in the CHOICES 
program were randomly tested with a 10-panel lab drug screen. Seven 
of the tests came back positive, three had to be retested and 280 
were negative. About 10 students are randomly selected each month 
from each high school. (Allied health students are not randomly 
selected. They register for the course knowing they must be tested.)

Advocates of student drug testing share anecdotal accounts of the 
success of drug testing in reducing drug use. Drug testing can be of 
benefit not only in identifying drug use, but also the preventative 
effect of testing in deterring students from drug usage.  Adolescents 
are particularly vulnerable to the effects of drugs, and the earlier 
an adolescent begins using drugs, the more likely he or she will 
develop a substance abuse problem or the disease of addiction, 
according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The intervention specialists are involved in more student issues than 
just drug intervention and testing.  The intervention specialists 
program replaced the previous pregnant adolescent program. Therefore, 
they are responsible for coordinating school health services for 
pregnant students and/or parenting students. They often conduct 
classroom sessions on topics including substance abuse, teen 
pregnancy, violence prevention, coping skills, decision-making, 
problem solving, dealing with grief, self-esteem, character 
development and school success.

Intervention specialists are available for staff training on topics 
such as adolescent substance abuse, teen pregnancy, violence 
prevention, grief counseling, dysfunctional families, adolescent 
development, behavior management, mediation and character 
development. The intervention specialists serve as liaisons between 
the school system and outside agencies to provide as many resources 
for our students as possible. The school system recognizes the 
important role that intervention specialists play in the lives of our students.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake