DRUG ABUSE HELP

Addiction intervention is coming to Red Deer schools.

Starting this month, a new five-day Substance Abuse Intervention
Program will provide group and individual counselling while Red Deer
Public School District students continue their education.

Sessions will run Monday to Friday, from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at
Gaetz United Church and will accommodate 12 students per session.

Five sessions will be held by June and 10 sessions are planned for
the 2008-09 school year.

"We hope to see a reduction in things like the expulsion rate for
students with substance abuse. This is an alternative to that," said
deputy superintendent Pieter Langstraat, who made a presentation to
school board trustees on Wednesday.

It's hopefully a way to reduce the number of students struggling with
substance abuse, he added.

Langstraat said annually about 60 to 70 students in the district are
identified as having addictions. And those are the ones school staff
find out about.

The new program could be used as an alternative to suspension, after
suspension, or as a proactive step instead of suspension.

Until now, students would be referred to part-time Alberta Alcohol
and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC) counsellors who work in the high
schools.

"It is effective in some cases. But we feel as a community we need to
have some more intense intervention for some students."

The intervention program is all about bringing students together with
substance abuse counsellors, allowing them to continue their
schooling under teacher supervision, and getting parents involved.

After the five-day sessions, follow up meetings will be held with
students to review their progress and provide support.

Langstraat said the program is primarily targeted to middle and high
school students. But it will also show where the greatest need exists.

The $40,000 program is funded through Alberta Education's AISI
(Alberta Initiative for School Improvement) program, which allows
school jurisdictions to try new ways to improve learning.

Langstraat said as far as he knows the only other similar program
operating in Alberta is in St. Paul.

School board vice-chair Bev Manning said the program sounds like a
terrific start and could benefit students and parents she has seen as
a member of the district's disciplinary committee.

"They are just crying out for a life preserver. This is something we
can throw their way to offer support," Manning said.

Board chair Bill Stuebing said addressing substance abuse while
encouraging students in their studies is a definite improvement over
kicking them out of school.

The program isn't the "silver bullet" that will rid all students of
addiction, but it's a good answer for a lot of them, he said.

"Maybe a week isn't sufficient. But at least we're starting to do
something positive and that's the key."