As a high risk teen counselor and a certified addiction specialist, I know that at-risk students can be found in any school setting be it a junior or senior high school. Many families find themselves in “stormy” situations when their teenager goes through the difficult period of development called adolescence. These crises are often accompanied by rebellion, drug and alcohol abuse and dependency, poor communication, low self-esteem, disrespect for authority, lack of motivation, academic problems and conflicts associated with peer pressure and the stress and strains associated with living in today’s society.
Not all students fall apart during adolescent development. However, there are teens making wrong decisions with regard to teen drug and alcohol use, and that drug use spills into their lives at school. Some kids are coming to school high or drunk and some kids are selling drugs on school campuses. It’s a fact of life and is happening in all communities across the nation.
It used to be when teens were in trouble and involved with substance abuse there was an immediate suspension and or expulsion from school. But most times school administrators felt the need to help students beyond suspensions and expulsions and found that often times zero tolerance policies were just not working.
Locally, the need to extend a helping hand to at-risk teens and school administrators who want to impact student lives positively has created a partnership with Action Family Counseling and the William S. Hart Union High School District called TIDE (Training, Intervention, Drug Education), which is an alternative to suspensions and expulsions.
Students who are referred to the program are referred by school administrators in collaboration with their parents and must commit to and successfully complete a three-day intensive education program. The intervention program is highly structured, and is not a one-shot lecture or video about the ills of drug use, but offers an open group format, group role playing, drug education, life coaching and decision making skills, and more, helping teens take control of their lives and reintegrate them back into a successful school experience.
I applaud the William S. Union High School District for their strength and leadership on behalf of their students, all students in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Cary Quashen is the founder and president of Action Parent & Teen Support Group Programs, Action Family Counseling, and the Action Zone Teen Center in the Santa Clarita Valley. For further information call 661-297-4660 and visit www.actionfamily.org.