PROGRAM ASKING TEENS TO LOOK AT SUBSTANCE USE

Kids skipping out of school to do drugs or to sleep off their
hangovers won't be tolerated at Port Moody secondary school.

But the school isn't about to abandon these students,
either.

PMSS is piloting an intervention program to motivate students who are
in denial about their problematic drug and alcohol use so they seek
help. If it succeeds, the model could be expanded to other schools,
says PMSS principal Karen Jensen.

In April, PMSS administrators, teachers and counsellors were trained
to identify and screen students with drug and alcohol problems so they
could be referred to appropriate community services or a
self-assessment program run by school staff. "We just needed to find a
program that would help kids recognize they have a problem with [drugs
or alcohol]," said Jensen.

Although drugs and alcohol aren't any more of a problem at PMSS than
any other SD43 high school, staff and administrators wanted to do
something because they were frustrated with their inability to help
students who were obviously struggling.

Students in denial about their drug and alcohol use, unlike those who
are willing to seek help, don't think they have a problem and don't
see how it's affecting their school work and family and social lives.

They typically come to the attention of school staff because of their
poor performance or attendance records. Now, instead of suspending the
student or ignoring the problem, students are expected to take part in
a self-assessment group at the school in which counsellors or
administrators encourage them to look more deeply into their drug and
alcohol use and how it's affecting their life. The goal is to get them
to recognize they have a problem and seek help.

"It's a very open and non-judgmental process," Jensen
explained.

So far, only a handful of students have been through the program but
Jensen said it has been well accepted.

A report will be prepared for the district's senior leadership team in
the fall. SD43 has been looking at alternatives to suspension to
provide options other than sending students home to a perhaps empty
house for the day where they can continue to engage in problematic
behaviour.

Robb McGirr, a drug counsellor and retired cop who trained PMSS staff,
applauded the school for making an effort to fill a gap left by health
services that are set up to help only those who are ready to accept
help.

"Eighty per cent of kids don't think they have a problem," he said.
"Those kids are not suitable candidates for getting services in the
community."

McGirr said schools are uniquely positioned to offer early
intervention because they already measure student performance and can
see when trouble starts.