3. Use and/or abuse of substance is a detractor from the school s primary function of educating its students.

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1 /7321 POLICY Policy on substance abuse Personnel SUBJECT: POLICY ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE Introduction As our country struggles to combat the growing problem of substance abuse, school systems across the nation find themselves in need of guidelines in dealing with drug problems that have filtered down to their communities. According to federal statistics, seventy three percent of our nation s 16,490 school districts have written policies against substance abuse. Federal legislation now mandates that the districts establish comprehensive substance abuse guidelines in order to receive federal aid. This legislation also requires that a drug policy contain a strong statement clearly articulating the district s no tolerance stance against drug possession, use and sale during school and school-related activities. Students and employees alike are included in the comprehensive policy. Guidelines also require disciplinary action, intervention, treatment, and after care for students and staff who become involved with drugs. Philosophy Statement The following goals and objectives will be used as guidelines in controlling substance abuse and for any disciplinary measures related to substance abuse. 1. The policy is the basis for prevention education efforts. 2. Use and/or abuse of substances is preventable and treatable. 3. Use and/or abuse of substance is a detractor from the school s primary function of educating its students. 4. The policy will be broadly communicated, clearly worded, and enforced uniformly throughout the district and community. 5. The policy will reflect values and attitudes consistent with those of the community, parents, district, staff and students as a whole. 6. The Board of Education, administration, and all staff shall serve as positive role models for students. Prevention The intent of primary prevention programming is to prevent or delay the onset of alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use by students. The components of this programming shall include: 1. A sequential K-12 prevention curriculum that provides for: a. Accurate and age-appropriate information about alcohol, tobacco, and other substances, including the physical, psychological, and social consequences of their use/abuse. b. Information about the relationship of alcohol and other substance use/abuse to the other health-compromising conditions such as AIDS. teenage pregnancy, eating disorders, child abuse, suicide, dropping out of school, and misuse of steroids.

2 Page 2 Policy on Substance Abuse c. Helping students develop appropriate life skills to resist the use of alcohol and other substances, to promote healthy life styles and use strategies to reduce demand for illicit drugs. d. Helping students identify personal risk factors for alcohol and other substance use/abuse and the steps needed for risk reduction. e. Helping students develop a positive self-concept and increase self-esteem. f. Helping students identify when they are under stress and how to manage or reduce stress through non-chemical means. 2. Training parents and guardians to use the information and skills necessary to reinforce the components of this policy in the home and community. 3. Community education about the issues of alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use/abuse as a basis for providing a consistent message to district youth. 4. Positive alternatives to alcohol, and other substance use/abuse, such as peer leadership programs, service projects, recreational and extra-curricular activities. Such activities will be planned collaboratively among students, parents, community members and agencies. Disciplinary Measures Disciplinary measures for students found to have used or to be using, in possession, selling, or distributing alcohol and/or other substances and for students possessing drug paraphernalia are outlined in the District s policy on Student Rights and Responsibilities. Similar disciplinary measures for District staff are addressed in Education Law 1711 (5) (e), 2508 (5), 3020-a, and 913. Students who are disciplined for any of these infractions will be mandated to the intervention services established by this policy. Referral, Intervention, and After Care The intent of the referral, intervention, and after care component of the substance abuse policy is to eliminate such use/abuse. Policy provisions also include services for those who are either self-referred or staff-referred to the substance abuse treatment program. Through contracts with the Broome County Drug Awareness Center, the district will provide a community-based service for the students with substance abuse problems as well as those identified as high risk for substance abuse. The Drug Awareness Center s program will provide referral, assessment, counseling, and after care services for district students. Students classified as having special needs will be served on the same basis as the student body in general. Disciplinary action taken in regards to violations of the substance abuse policy by special needs students shall be reviewed by the principal s office and then the case is referred to the Committee on Special Education for review. Referral services will be provided for elementary and middle school students when alcohol and other drug and/or problems occur. Whenever possible, after care will be provided for students through district health care services. Referral to on-site drug counselor and follow-up with after care for alcohol and other drug problems will be provided for high school students. Federal and state regulations in regard to client confidentiality and disciplinary action will be strictly adhered to in all cases.

3 Page 3 Policy on Substance Abuse Employee Assistance Program The Employee Assistance Program provides appropriate confidential prevention, intervention, assessment, referral, support, and follow-up services for district staff who seek assistance with alcohol and substance use/abuse related problems, emotional problems, mental illness, and other human problems. The district recognizes that it has not right to intervene unless employees personal problems adversely affect their job performance. The District s supervisory personnel will encourage employees to manage and move toward a resolution of their problems on their own with the help of the Employee Assistance Program. Disciplinary measures for the district staff are addressed in Education Law, 1711 (5) (e), 2508 (5), 3020-a, and 913. Staff Development The Whitney Point Central School Board of Education recognizes that if the administrative, instructional, and noninstructional staff are to be responsible for implementing and modeling this policy, they must be trained about the components of an effective alcohol and other substance prevention program. Staff training will be an on-going process including the following: 1. For all staff: (a) awareness of personal risk factors for alcohol and other substance use/abuse so that they may identify personal use/abuse problems and seek assistance, and (b) their role in implementing this policy, including how to identify students who exhibit high risk behaviors or who are using/abusing alcohol and other substances, and how to refer these students to the appropriate services established by this policy. 2. Additionally for teachers: the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the district s K-12 alcohol and other substance prevention curriculum. Review, Revision, Dissemination, and Monitoring of Comprehensive Policy The Drug Free Committee shall review and revise the substance abuse policy. Recommendations to the Board of Education will be made by this committee. Upon approval by the Board of Education, it will become the duty of the Superintendent to collaborate with staff, parents, students, and community substance abuse service organizations in implementing the Substance Abuse Policy. Dissemination of the Comprehensive Policy will be accomplished through inclusion in staff and student handbooks. District newsletters to parents and the community will impart information concerning the district s policy. The administration will provide the Board with an annual review of the policy along with recommendations for revision of the policy. Also see Policies #/Name 7320 Alcohol, Drugs (student) 6150 Alcohol, Drugs (school personnel) 6151 Drug Free Workplace 5630 Smoking

4 EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR WHITNEY POINT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT The Board of Education, the Whitney Point Administrators Association, and the Whitney Point Teachers Association jointly recognize a need to overcome health problems which are affecting job performance in keeping with the responsibility for maintaining a good educational program. These organizations have worked to develop a referral and information service for Whitney Point Central School District employees. To implement these services, the following agreement has been reached. This ageement reflects the position of the Whitney Point Central School District on alcoholism, substance abuse and other social, mental and health-related problems which may threaten our fellow employees either in job performance or in life quality. The program which has been designed to provide assistance to employees throughout the school district incorporates an information program as a means of helping individuals address health related problems. The program seeks to encourage voluntary referral. ORGANIZATION 1. The Whitney Point Central School District Employee Assistance Program is a constructive program of self-referral designed to deal with a variety of physical, social, economic, and mental problems which may trouble any employee or employee s family on or off the job. The EAP helps employees by providing quick reference to professionals in various fields; and the EAP Coordinator strongly recommends, that employees seek assistance in order to avoid dismissal or poor evaluation based on problems which may be alleviated by such assistance. 2. The EAP is a joint effort by all bargaining units and administration in the Whitney Point Central Schools. Any employee will have the support of his or her bargaining unit. The EAP Committee, consisting of one representative from each employee group, and the Superintendent or his/her designee will be formed for the purpose of monitoring and governing the program. A report will be submitted each May 15 to the Superintendent of Schools. 3. An EAP Coordinator will be chosen by representatives of all units concerned and the performance of this coordinator will be jointly reviewed on a yearly basis. 4. All EAP records are confidential in accordance with Federal Regulations. 5. An employee who is afflicted with an illness dealt with in this program will be treated with dignity and respect and will be given the same consideration extended to other ill employees. 6. Any employee who initiates a self referral will not jeopardize his or her security or future promotional opportunity.

5 Page 2 Employee Assistance Program 7. Implementation of this policy will not be interpreted as constituting a waiver of management s rights and responsibilities to maintain discipline and to take disciplinary measures, within the framework of the agreements, and applicable law, in the case of misconduct or failure to maintain job performance which may be presumed to result from some problem causing referral to the EAP Coordinator. 8. Implementation of this policy will not be interpreted as constituting a waiver of an employee organization s responsibility to protect the interests of its member or the right to defend a member against disciplinary measures in the case of alleged misconduct presumed to result from a problem causing referral to the EAP Coordinator. 9. The EAP agreement is entered into voluntarily by all parties and it is understood that the agreement is renewable by all parties each year. PROCEDURES FOR THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM A. Voluntary Referral 1. Any employee or member of his/her immediate family, whose use of alcohol or whose other health-related problems have begun to interfere in any are of that person s life, is urged to become involved in this referral program. Any such self-referral will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. Self-referrals can be made directly to the Program Coordinator for the Whitney Point Central School District. 2. The program is one of education as well as referral. Inquiries about the program itself or alcoholism in general are welcome.

6 ENDORSEMENT The undersigned representatives hereby join in and endorse the EAP guidelines and policy, and pledge their cooperation in administering the Employee Assistant Program. President Board of Education Whitney Point Central School District Superintendent of Schools Whitney Point Central School District President Administrators Association Whitney Pont Central School District President Teachers Association Whitney Point Central School District

7 Example Alcoholism: Alcoholism is presented here as an example of a common illness which might concern and employee or employee s family. There are, obviously, other illnesses, other concerns. Alcoholism is the most common reason for supervisory referral and is also a common reason for employee self-referral when the employee realizes a job-threatening situation exists. A. Alcoholism is recognized as a disease for which there is effective treatment and rehabilitation. B. Alcoholism is defined as a complex, progressive disease in which a person s consumption of any alcoholic beverage definitely and repeatedly interferes with the individual s health or job performance or both. C. The EAP is not concerned with social drinking but with the disease of alcoholism. The concern is limited to those instances of alcoholism with affect the job performance of an individual. The program is designed to achieve recovery of health and restoration of job performance. D. Persons who suspect that they may have an alcoholism problem, even in its early stages, are encouraged to seek diagnosis and to follow through with the treatment that may be prescribed by qualified professionals in order to arrest the disease. E. Any persons having this disease will receive the same careful consideration and offer of treatment that is presently extended, under existing benefit plans, to all those having any other disease. F. It will be the responsibility of all District and employee organization personnel to implement this policy and to follow the procedures designed to assure that no person with alcoholism will have either job security or promotional opportunities jeopardized by a voluntary request for diagnosis and treatment. (In the case of a referral, especially by a supervisor, the employee with an alcohol-related problem must realize that a job threatening situation already exists and that such referral does not constitute the supervisor s abnegation of responsibility but is an attempt to provide assistance even when the problem threatens dismissal for job-related alcohol incidents.) G. The decision to request diagnosis and to accept treatment for alcoholism is the personal responsibility of the individual. H. Continued exhibition of poor job performance, attendance, or safety problems by an employee who refuses diagnosis and treatment will be handled by conventional disciplinary procedures in accord with law and bargaining units.