Douglas County is a beautiful place to live

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(No Transcript)
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Douglas County is a beautiful place to live!

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Our community has challenges, though

• challenges which affect quality
• of life for many of the students we serve.

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• Research has identified influences
• that contribute to, or safeguard
• against, substance abuse and other problem
  behaviors.
• These are called risk and protective factors.
  This approach is the
• only theory about problem behaviors
• that is proven to be predictive.
• (Theory developed by University of Washington
  researchers,
• J. David Hawkins, PhD and Richard F. Catalano,
  PhD)

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Risk and Protective factors fall into four
domains Community Family Individual/Peer Sch
ool http//www.findyouthinfo.gov/cf_pages/prog
ramtool-factors.cfm http//icare.ebrschools.org/ed
uWEB2/1000011/docs/risk_and_protective_factors.pdf
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The more STRESSORS a child experiences in
any of these domains, the more likelihood he has
of engaging in risky behaviors.Some we can
influence. Some we cannot.
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What we cant control

• Family history of depression, mental health,
  incarceration, substance abuse, illiteracy
• Early childhood trauma
• Chronic stress
• Family management problems, poor parental
  supervision and/or monitoring, erratic discipline
  practices
• Foster care, broken home
• Sibling antisocial behavior

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• One USDA survey ranked Oregon hunger amongst the
  worst in the nation
• 47 of our children considered low income
• Almost 1/4 of county children live in poverty
• 2008 data from Children First of Oregon
• www.cffo.org

Things we cant control Poverty
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Things we cant control Unemployment

• In 2007, Douglas County was ranked one of the
  highest in the state in unemployment.
• (Ranked 32nd out of 36 counties. 1 is best, 36 is
  worst)

2007 County Data Snapshot, Oregon Progress
Board http//www.oregon.gov/DAS/OPB/docs/C
oData/07CoData/2007_CountyDataSnapshot.pdf
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Things we cant controlDomestic violence
Child abuse

• The Coos/Curry/Douglas area has highest domestic
  abuse rates in state of Oregon
• 130 increase in women needing shelter since 2002
• Incidents of these behaviors rate higher than the
  state average
• 10-17 year-old girls forced to have intercourse
• Adults having sexual contact with girls 10-17
  years old
• Adults who intentionally hit or physically hurt
  children 10-17 years old
• Douglas County Battered Persons Advocacy

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A corollary fact

• In communities where economic and social
  stressors are high, you will find a population
  for which the use of substances is a significant
  problemfor both the adult AND youth population.

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Our county ranks extremely high in the
availability and use of drugs

• Douglas County has the sixth
• highest rate of legal medical
• marijuana cardholders in Oregon
• (6th out of 36 counties)

• 70 of parental substance abuse by child welfare
  clients involves meth
• Meth is the number one issue in terms of child
  abuse and neglect
• http//www.opb.org/meth/tv/essays/?essay4

http//www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/ommp/data.shtml
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• We are one of eight counties in Oregon designated
  High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA)

The Office of National Drug Control Policy
(ONDCP) designates areas within the United
States which exhibit serious drug trafficking
problems and harmfully impact other areas of
the country as High Intensity Drug Trafficking
Areas (HIDTA).
http//www.ondcp.gov/hidta/or.html
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What we can influence!!

• Positive attitude toward school
• Presence and involvement of caring, supportive
  adults
• Student bonding and attachment to teachers
• Opportunities and rewards for prosocial school
  involvement

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We can provide a safe, responsible, respectful
environment for students

• Consistency Fairness
  Safety

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Positive Behavior Supports

• Provide clear standards and rules
• Use positive school-wide and classroom
  reinforcements
• Encourage (and model) respect and responsible
  behavior
• Utilize fair and consistent
• management of student
• behavior

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We can build ASSETS by providing an environment
in which students

• Receive support from three or more nonparent
  adults
• Place a high value on helping other people
• Care about their school
• Have opportunities to enhance empathy,
  sensitivity, and friendship skills
• Act on their convictions and stand up for their
  beliefs
• Find a complete list of desirable assets and
  ideas about developing them at
• http//www.search-institute.org/content/40-develop
  mental-assets-adolescents

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• The more assets young people experience, the less
  
• likely they are to engage in a wide range of
  risky behaviors

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and the more likely they will engage in positive
ones!
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What can we do to support the highest risk
students?

• It is important not only to be able
• to identify the warning signs that indicate young
  people are using but to also take appropriate
  action to make sure they receive help.

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Physical signs

• Smell of alcohol or marijuana
• Avoidance of eye contact
• Glassy or bloodshot eyes
• Dilated or constricted pupils
• Unsteady gait or lack of coordination
• Slurred, rapid, or incoherent speech
• Staring or looking vacant
• Drastic weight loss or gain
• Sloppiness in appearance

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Emotional signs

• Appearing depressed
• Becoming withdrawn or unwilling to communicate
• Change in friends or social activities
• Unexplainable mood swings and behavior
• Not seeming to be as happy as they used to
• Disoriented in time
• Overly tired or hyperactive
• Being unusually confused or fearful
• Negative, argumentative, paranoid, anxious

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School-specific signs

• Sudden drop in grades
• Truancy
• Loss of interest in learning
• Sleeping in class
• Poor work performance
• Not doing homework
• Defiance of authority
• Poor attitude towards sports or other
  extracurricular activities
• Reduced memory and attention span

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What then?
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Casual Intervention

• Talk to your student
• Be direct and clear
• Identify behavior your concerns
• Ask questions
• Be supportive
• Ask if student is willing to talk to Drug
  Prevention Specialist for help and support

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Formal Intervention

• If you suspect a student is in possession or
  under the influence of alcohol, tobacco or other
  drugs, make a report to your building
  administrator.
• Share identified behaviors
• Assist with intervention as role identifies
• See District Policy Handbook, Student Misconduct,
  JFC. Although consequences may need to be
  addressed through discipline, the opportunity for
  intervention will also be included.

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• In addition, as a School District
• we are required to
• Provide Drug and Alcohol education to students
  every child, every year
• Become educated to understand the risks and
  dangers of substance use
• Maintain a drug-free workplace

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State Laws and District Rules

• Drug and Alcohol Prevention, Health Education
  (District Code IGAEB, OAR 581-22-413)
• Use of Tobacco, Alcohol or Drugs (Code
  JFCG/JFCH/JFCI, OAR 581-22-413)
• Drug Free Workplace (District Code GBEC, ORS
  243.650)

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Drug Free Workplace

• The district prohibits the manufacturing,
  distributing, dispensing, possessing and/or use
  of alcohol or drugs in the workplace.
• As a condition of employment, employees must
  abide by the alcohol and/or drug policy and
  inform the district within five (5) days of any
  criminal drug conviction that occurred in the
  workplace.
• The district shall provide an alcohol and
  drug-free awareness program annually. The program
  shall include information about the dangers of
  alcohol and/or drugs in the workplace, a copy of
  the district policy and the availability of
  alcohol and/or drug counseling, rehabilitation
  and employee assistance programs. The program
  shall also include the consequences of an alcohol
  and/or drug policy violation. Each employee will
  be provided information that includes the dangers
  of alcohol and/or drugs in the workplace, a copy
  of the district policy and the availability of
  alcohol and/or drug counseling, rehabilitation,
  employee assistance programs and the consequences
  of an alcohol and/or drug policy violation.
• Violation of this policy shall result in
  appropriate action. The district may require an
  employee to participate in an alcohol and/or drug
  abuse program or rehabilitation program. If the
  employee fails to satisfactorily participate in
  such program, employment may be suspended,
  his/her contract non-renewed or the employee may
  be dismissed at the discretion of the Board.
  Sanctions against employees may include
  discipline up to and including dismissal

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OAR 581-22-413 Prevention Education in Drugs
and Alcohol

• Mandates that each district shall have a plan
  that is an integral part of the districts
  comprehensive health education program. In
  addition, at least annually, all senior high
  school students shall receive age-appropriate
  instruction about drug and alcohol prevention
  that includes
• The effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug
  use
• All laws relating to the use, especially by
  minors, of alcohol and other illegal drugs
• The availability of school and community
  resources
• Understanding and managing peer pressure
• Understanding the consequences of consuming
  alcohol and other drugs
• Making informed and responsible decisions
• Motivating students to adopt positive attitudes
  towards health and wellness

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• Remember, the most influential people in a young
  persons life are
• Parents
• Grandparents
• Teachers and Counselors
• Peers
• What we say and
• do makes a
• difference!