Municipal Alliance Weighs Options for Substance Abuse Intervention in Elementary Schools
The District has been without a specialized counselor since the beginning of the school year
Discussion at last night’s Lacey Township Municipal Alliance meeting centered on issues now arising from the lack of a trained Student Assistance Counselor in the elementary schools.
Members of the Municipal Alliance have said that a Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) for the elementary level is vital in identifying at-risk students at an early age when counseling can be most effective. Since a full-time SAC intern left at the end of June, the Township Board of Education has not hired anyone to replace her.
The Lacey Township High School Association Against Drugs and Alcohol (AADA) held its opening meeting for their Big Brother/Big Sister program on Monday afternoon and, while there were 40 high school students ready to begin mentoring younger students, there was very low turnout from the elementary schools, according to Margaret Rand, AADA Advisor.
“When high school students are addicted, it’s a much larger problem,” said Rand. “Prevention is the better strategy to address drug addiction.”
Student Assistance Counselors (SAC) provide children who have parents with substance abuse problems and those involved in bullying or any other risky behavior with confidential counseling.
“We were promised by the School Board that someone with proper SAC training would be hired at substitute teacher pay to help coordinate some of the activities in Mill Pond School one day a week,” said Heather Scanlon, Municipal Alliance Coordinator. However, she said, school officials have not yet found a room where counseling could take place.
Mill Pond School houses all the township's fifth and sixth grade students.
Some of the Alliance members questioned why Lacey Township has never had a D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. Scanlon explained that the program is run by the police department and is sometimes funded by municipal alliances, but budget cuts have meant the end of many of these programs.
“You have to set priorities and do whatever you can do in these economic times,“ said Township Committeeman David Most. He suggested D.A.R.E. could be started as a pilot program for a year to see how it works.
Scanlon said she plans to meet with the school district’s special education supervisor to discuss these issues.
voiceofreason
7:13 pm on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Drug use prevention needs to be in the home!
Eggs-n-Toast
8:26 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Exactly, Voice. Unless they are training people who already work at the school in some capacity (guidance counselor, teacher, secretary, etc) there is no reason to waste money and resources training more people and implementing a program that will see little if any use. There is not a "big drug problem" in elementary schools, and IF there is.... then the teachers, counselors and administration of that school are failing miserably in their jobs. THAT should be remedied, not coming up with more BS programs and useless $$ wasters like D.A.R.E
Debbie
7:42 pm on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
This has been a HUGE problem in the school system for many years. I personally went to Mr. Zalynski at one point and he basically said I was crazy that there was no drug problem. Yet my child was afraid to use the restroom because of the drug activity going on. This is 6 years ago!!
Eggs-n-Toast
8:22 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
And what grade was your child in at that time, Debbie? Because, no offense, but I don't believe that. The restrooms are very easily monitored by teachers and janitorial staff. Kids don't do drugs or smoke anything in the restrooms if an adult is in there or standing outside the door. Drug use in the elementary school(s) is not a "huge problem". Now high school might be a different thing, but elementary school - no.
Brian Holt
9:10 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The whole restroom thing is true, regardless of teachers being outside the door. Everyone would congregate in the stall and close the door and light up; you couldn't go in there without coming out smelling like at least cigarettes.
Mattie
12:54 pm on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Really Brian? I'm having a very hard time imagining 8 to 10 year old kids "congregating" in the rest rooms to grab a smoke, with teachers standing outside the door. Come on. Exaggeration brings nothing to the table as far as problem solving and solutions. Smoking and drug use is not a big problem in any elementary school. Even if 10 kids a year are caught smoking cigs in elementary school- that doesn't constitute a "huge drug problem" in a school with many hundreds of students.
LaceyLady
2:51 pm on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
If they can't stop them from smoking cigarettes in the bathrooms at the High School, they'll NEVER be able to prevent them from doing drugs. My son and his friends will not use the bathrooms due to the smoke, they're afraid to go in there. They should install smoke detectors or something...smoking on school property is supposed to be prohibited, but is overlooked year after year - come on already - do something about this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mattie
8:59 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A drug problem among teens and adults in any town is not the same as claiming there's a "huge drug problem" in elementary schools. I have many friends and family members who work in, and/or have kids in several different elementary schools in Toms River, Pine Beach, Beachwood and Brick. No "huge drug problems" to be seen among the 1st thru 8th grades. Any exceptions to this are kids whose drug habits are being picked up at HOME, not in school...
Eggs-n-Toast
9:16 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A Freshman in high school is not elementary school. I noted that in my other post.
And I still believe that smoking in the bathrooms - at any level - is very easily stopped, without more "training", or D.A.R.E programs, or $$ spent.
Where are the smoke detectors? Where are the teachers? What happened to hall passes while classes are in session? When is all this supposed bathroom chaos and drug use happening? I think things are being greatly exaggerated. (JMO)
Kelly Greene
9:32 am on Saturday, October 29, 2011
My daughter's a sophomore, and complained about the smoking in the bathrooms all of last year. I believe it is primarily one bathroom that the kids are smoking in. She said that one day a teacher walked by complaining about the smoke in the hallway, BUT DID NOTHING. They need to enforce the rules in that school. The middle school is run so tightly, but the high school is a free for all. No exaggeration, trust me. I do not think that there is a big problem in the elementary schools, and the high school problem is not worse than other high schools in the area. That does not mean, however, that we should stick our heads in the sand and ignore it.
paddler
9:19 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Eggsntoast - you clearly don't have any children in the high school - or if you do, they don't talk to you about what goes on. My child is in Lacey High School and also refuses to use the bathrooms because of all of the smoking, I spoke with the principal as well, who reluctantly acknowledged the problem, but pointed out that unless an adult was in the bathrooms at all times, it is almost impossible to stop the smoking. Take your head out of the sand! Drugs are a real problem too. You'd be surprised at how many of our high school athletes have been busted for drug use - and continue to participate in their sport. We need drug testing for athletes, random locker searches, and K-9 back in the school. We need to have a zero-tolerance policy in the school and the parents need to back it up.
Mattie
9:33 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Again, the issue and article is about ELEMENTARY schools, not high schools. Eggsntoast made that clear enough several times. I think there is a difference as well and no need for more money being spent on elementary school anti-drug programs above and beyond what they do now. And yes, I have raised three kids through high school - and college, thanks.
My kids were in the Toms River schools when D.A.R.E was first introduced back in the early 90's (?). I don't have the stats, but I'd bet that D.A.R.E made little if any difference as far as deterring drug use/abuse as kids got older. That's a fantasy. A harmless one, but a fantasy.
jennifer
9:41 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
this is a problem that is growing very fast. And it is not up to our administrators and teachers and counselors to rectify it, only to alert proper authorities of it. The responsibility comes from the home, the parents!! But how can they when they get their narcotics from the drug store prescribe by doctors for a stubbed toe. I see it all the time. It makes me ill. Children today do not need to go to the drug dealer, they can get it from the medicine cabinet from home. Or the other more disturbing problem, which is the new trend..parents getting high with the kids. Trying to be their buddy and not a parent. Listen, your children have plenty of friends, be a sober parent.
Kelly Greene
9:39 am on Saturday, October 29, 2011
Agreed, I think we as parents have a much bigger influence on them than we realize. You can't be with then 24/7, you need to prepare them to make the right choices. And parents need to know where there kids are and who they are with, something I think a lot of parents don't realize the importance of sometimes.
paddler
10:00 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Mattie - thanks for bringing us back to the issue discussed in the article. Apologies for jumping on a subject that I'm very concerned about. I don't think there's a drug problem in the elementary schools, or that paying someone to identify students at risk would be very effective in deterring later drug use. The problem is bigger that that solution.
DC
10:48 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
I agree with Mattie, my children were involved in elementary school with the D.A.R.E. program and I too believe it did little or nothing to influence the children to stay away from drugs and alcohol. Drug and alcohol abuse prevention begins at home. Parents need to be more involved in their childrens lives. Knowing who they are spending time with and where the will be is important. If your child is allowed to attend parties where there is no adult supervision then you have no control over what is going on and what your child is trying. And, I believe there is a drug and alcohol abuse issue in the elementary schools. Just listen to kids talking at football games or other town activities and you will hear too many talk about drugs and alcohol that is readily available to them. Parents need to wake up and pay attention.