Students benefit from Brief Intervention Program in South Lake Tahoe schools

Students at South Tahoe High and South Tahoe Middle schools now have an option to the normal suspension process thanks to the Brief Intervention Program (BIP) developed by the South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition.

In the past, students would be sent home for three days when suspended for having, or being under the influence, drugs or alcohol while at school. In many instances this method was looked at as a few days vacation with little, or no, opportunity to learn from their errors.

Now, with BIP, students have a chance to go through a successful on-campus process that includes counseling and homework. On the first day, the student is introduced to the BIP facilitator and is given a comprehensive Addiction Severity Index substance abuse assessment. Then, the student is provided two and a half days of drug and alcohol education. On the third day, the facilitator meets with the parents/guardians, provides a summary of the drug education provided to their child and facilitates the creation of a family contract between student and parent/guardian.

During the past school year, 41 students went through the program at South Tahoe High School (STHS) and South Tahoe Middle School (STMS). Of those students, 39 were suspended for marijuana and two for alcohol.

Less than 20% of the students that completed the BIP re-offend.

The South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition is currently working on an expanded aftercare program that can be offered to students completing BIP so the chances of re-offending will be reduced even further. For the students that participated in the aftercare program during the 2014-15 year, there were no repeat offenders.

Students at STHS that are suspended are given demerits that prevent participation in many school activities. Upon completion of the BIP, those demerits are removed. Students that require substance abuse treatment are referred to local treatment programs.

According to Hector Reyes, the Supervising Health Education Coordinator for El Dorado County, one of the most significant results of meeting with these students and families was the identification of gaps in services that exist within our community to help these kids get healthy. "For instance, a large percentage of youth drug users have suffered a death to someone close to them," said Reyes. "Currently, there are minimal grieving support groups for local youth in our community."

There are many ways residents can step up and help fill the gaps in service according to Reyes. There are many efforts ongoing within our communities that are addressing service needs. The STDF Coalition meets once per month, open to the public, The Barton Hospital Foundation has a Community Action Committee that funds service needs annually. There is a new Mental Health Cooperative that is meeting once per month, open to the public. The South Tahoe Police Activities League is currently running programs that offer local youth positive adult role models, including police officers, and healthy positive activities such as yoga, skateboarding, mountain biking and golf clinics. The South Police Department is always looking for volunteers, donations and equipment, such as bicycles.

Reyes and the El Dorado County Alcohol and Drug Programs piloted an aftercare group for several students that completed BIP this year. What they discovered is that the perception of harm for marijuana use is very, very low in South Lake Tahoe as well as across the nation.

"We have also discovered that one of the main reasons our youth begin using drugs is that there is no accountability in their lives," said Reyes. "Parents don’t know their children are using. Parents don’t know how to intervene once they find out their children are using and a large percentage of parents use marijuana themselves. The kids do not have anyone holding them accountable, nobody to answer to. They begin to be held accountable in the aftercare group."

For the next school year, Lake Tahoe Unified School District has adopted the Brief Intervention Program and hired three advocates to implement the program as part of their job duties. The South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition (STDFC) initiated the concept and facilitated agency cooperation to provide services to the 41 students during the initial year. They worked out the kinks and helped hand it over to the school district to make it sustainable. STDFS in beginning the third year of their five year grant to identify the needs in the community and implement programs.

What Parents Can Do

The STDFC, in coordination with the El Dorado County Alcohol and Drug Programs, is currently working on a parenting model for 2015 and beyond. They realize that the best chance of intervening at the onset of drug use begins within the family. The coalition is currently working on a Parent Texting Network, open to all parents that will provide the most up-to-date drug education and skills for intervention. They know that parents are too busy to attend panel discussions and town hall meetings so want to reach parents directly through their smart phones with the most current pictures of drugs, signs and symptoms to watch for, where to get help, how to use their leverage and how to talk to their children.

With programs such as the BIP and the Parent Texting Network, the coalition has a great chance to get funded five additional years. They encourage all residents in South Lake Tahoe and Stateline to participate in the coalition meetings and workgroups. For more information, contact STDRC Coordinator Kelsey Magoon at 530-541-2445.

"The marijuana industry is gaining serious momentum and strength," said Reyes. "We must stay ahead of the curve to protect or youth. Come join the effort."