School District And Municipal Alliance Compromise On Elementary Substance Abuse

The school district and Municipal Alliance are working together to fill in the gap for an elementary substance abuse counselor.

The Municipal Alliance has been advocating for a substance abuse counselor for several months since an unpaid intern in the position left at the end of the school year.

School district administration sat down with Heather Scanlon, the Municipal Alliance coordinator, to discuss short and long-term plans for the position.

“That meeting was very productive. We do think it’s critical to focus on substance abuse sooner rather than later,” said Thomas Dorso, Supervisor of Special Services. It is imperative to address substance and domestic abuse issues at the elementary and middle school levels, he said.

Pending board approval, the school district is planning to bring in an Elementary Substance Abuse Counselor on a weekly basis with a substitutes pay, Superintendent Richard Starodub said.

Sue Jarner used to be an Elementary Substance Abuse Counselor in the school district and has since retired. Last year, she was brought back weekly to work with school counselors and in the elementary substance abuse program and will be doing the same for the upcoming school year, Starodub said.

“She’s giving of herself. She was passionate about her work while she was here and she wanted to help us through this, Starodub said.

Having Jarner come in does help the situation, Scanlon said.

“That makes me feel a little better,” she said.

“It just goes to show you the dedication a lot of these people have. Sue doesn’t live close by and coming in at substitutes pay, that’s a commitment for someone who decided they want to retire. I’m hopeful that she’ll be able to pick up some of the slack,” she said.

The school district will also begin to encourage existing elementary counselors to pursue substance abuse counseling courses as well as future hires to have certification in the area.

“At least we made some movement. And that’s the least we’re going to do. I think this won’t be ideal by far but at least we won’t be hurting anybody,” Dorso said.

Dorso is proposing to bring in a second Elementary Substance Abuse Counselor once a week until staff gets certified.

“I’m hopeful that some of our concerns will be addressed but we still think it would be best to have someone in the position full time,” Scanlon said. “They’re looking towards the future."

Several positions may open up through attrition within the next few years, which will give the school district an opportunity to bring someone in with duel certification, Scanlon said.

In the meantime, the Municipal Alliance is looking into offering several programs along with Dorso to help fill in that gap.

The Municipal Alliance has been running an after school program called “Kids in Transition” for the past two years at Mill Pond Elementary School. The program would teach fifth and sixth graders team building and resiliency skills as well as deal with self-esteem issues and problem solving.

In previous years teachers who were trained in those areas taught the program. Two years ago, it was offered to students who attended the aftercare program, who are at greater risk, Scanlon said.

“We’re not by any means reaching the entire student body but it’s something that all the students would benefit from,” Scanlon said.

This year, the Municipal Alliance may incorporate presentations on anti-drugs and anti-risky behavior, Scanlon said.

“It’s not going to fill the gap totally because elementary school counselors identify kids at risk who might have issues at home with substance abuse. They’re seen by counselors specialized in dealing with these issues,” Scanlon said. “We definitely feel there will be a gap there for those students until the position is filled. We’re never going to close the gap this year.”

The Municipal Alliance is also hoping to create a program for parents of incoming middle school students that would be incorporated at orientation. The program would introduce parents to what their kids will be exposed to at the next level.

“The statistics are very scary. About 38 percent of kids have their first drink at 10 and 11 years old,” Scanlon said. “We would like to focus our attention at that level because we see a real general lack of knowledge from the parents on what the kids are involved in.”

The Municipal Alliance is also lobbying for a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program to be established in the school district as well as a school resource officer for the high school.

“I am pleased that the administration is showing a strong desire to try to keep alive some of the programs- Big Brothers Big Sisters through the Association Against Drugs and Alcohol and Red Ribbon Week- that the elementary staff was involved in,” Scanlon said. “Is it enough? I don’t think so but hopefully we’ll get more as time goes on and we’re willing to help out as we can.”

Dorso will have a short and long-term proposal for the Board of Education by the next school board meeting on Monday, Aug. 15.

“Of course when we have money problems, we lose positions. I’m thankful we only lost one. We’re a little down but we’re certainly not out and with cooperation from the Municipal Alliance, I think they’re going to help me get where I want to go,” Dorso said.