President’s Letter: The First Line of Defense

Student substance abuse not only affects the family but the student’s educational process as well. It does not make a difference if it is a prescription drug or an illegal drug. It does not matter if you are rich or poor, black or white, privileged or not privileged. Substance abuse rips apart families and communities.
 
School counselors are the first line of defense when it comes to knowing their students and providing counseling services. Every school should have a Comprehensive Preventive Drug Plan. School counselors have been trained to recognize the causes and effects of student substance abuse. More important, school counselors are the educators who provide the preemptive social and emotional programs and support positive student behaviors, including making healthy decisions.
 
School counselors have an important role in identifying tools for preventive education, through counseling students individually or in a group and facilitating workshops with students on the effects of drugs on the body. We provide drug information materials to students to read and we discuss the various types of drugs that are harmful to their bodies – physically, mentally and educationally. Parental workshops are helpful; they teach the parent what to look for if they suspect their child is using drugs. Teachers and staff should be trained on the early signs of substance abuse, so they can identify at-risk students.
 
In addition to school counseling, community support is also vital in the prevention of student substance abuse. School counselors interact with various agencies that can provide support for the student and their parents.
 
Students must be empowered with positive reinforcement so they can increase their self-esteem and make healthy decisions. It is paramount to a student’s academic success for them to be able to see that they should not have to find emotional refuge in substance abuse.
 
Contact Gail Reed-Barnett, Ed.D., NYSSCA president, at president@nyssca.org.