Pubdate: Fri, 27 Feb 2009
Source: Coquitlam Now, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009Lower Mainland Publishing Group, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.thenownews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1340
Jennifer McFee, Coquitlam NOW
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

INTERVENTION, NOT SUSPENSION, FOR STUDENTS ON DRUGS

A new pilot project will use intervention instead of suspension to 
deal with drugs at local schools.

Paul McNaughton, principal of CABE and district alternate programs, 
said about a quarter of this year's 351 suspensions were due to drug 
and alcohol incidents.

"Last year, there were 216 drug- and alcohol-related suspensions in 
the school district. Two years ago, there were 153. It is a 
significant problem that is happening at the schools," McNaughton 
said at Tuesday's school board meeting.

"Suspensions do have fundamental flaws that most of us are probably 
aware of -- lack of supervision for students when they are at home."

Once kids are back at school after a suspension, McNaughton said 
there is usually no direct follow-up on the root problem.

"Off the side of their desks, people try to talk about drugs and talk 
about programs, but there's no consistent response across the school 
district in how to address those issues," he said.

As an alternative to school suspensions, a district-wide program 
launched Tuesday to target "pre-contemplative" youth, or those who 
don't think they have drug problems.

Through this program, students caught for drug infractions at schools 
will be required to attend a full-day intervention session.

Every second Tuesday, a maximum of 12 students will follow a 
group-based curriculum created by the SHARE Family & Community 
Services Society.

With guidance from a school counsellor, an itinerant youth worker and 
a SHARE facilitator, the group will focus on self-assessment and education.

In the afternoon, students can choose either to continue with 
self-directed drug intervention activities or finish homework 
assigned from their school.

Once the students complete the day-long program, a follow-up process 
begins at their own schools.

McNaughton said the program isn't perfect, but he hopes to garner 
enough feedback to create a more sustainable solution.

"I really want to emphasize that this is just giving us some data so 
that we can move forward with something that's more permanent. We 
need some kind of structured system and I think we need some kind of 
targeted support," he said, adding that the program stemmed from a 
Port Moody Secondary initiative developed last year in collaboration 
with a former Port Moody police officer.

Assistant superintendent Julie Pearce showed support for the program, 
since students who use drugs often drop out of the school system.

"What happens, I believe, before we've had any kind of an 
intervention is that if a student continues with that kind of drug 
use, you'll find they fade out of the system," Pearce said.

"They don't register the next year or second semester rolls around 
and . they fade away. That's where we lose track of them."

McNaughton said he hopes kids will hear about the reputation of the 
program and will want to participate.

"In terms of chronic users and where people go if they don't have 
intervention, it's what's best for the kids. There's no doubt about 
it," he said.

"If we could somehow do this, it's going to help our student 
population as well."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom