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Ottawa schools take a stand against youth addictions
February 26, 2009, Ottawa — This morning, the four Ottawa school boards announced the enhancement of existing school-based substance abuse education and prevention programming thanks to support from all levels of government, project s.t.ep. and OCRI. The announcement, which took place at All Saints Catholic High School in Kanata, follows a $1 million commitment in support of school-based programming made by Health Canada earlier this month.
“Our schools are small communities where young people spend much of their lives. The social environment can be a powerful shield or a risk factor, depending on where the student is positioned in the social matrix,” says Lyall Thomson, Director of Education for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. “Our goal is to offer health education aimed at drug prevention. You cannot teach children not to take drugs," he says, "but you can teach them to value health and make healthy choices.”
The program provides a highly trained professional substance abuse counsellor who will spend an average of two days per week in each participating high school. Services include: helping the school identify high-risk students; individual assessments; one-on-one substance abuse counselling; training for school staff; education and support for parents; referrals to ancillary services if necessary; and other substance abuse education and prevention initiatives for students. This no-cost, easy-access program provides flexible, timely and personal counselling that can engage school-aged youth who are typically less inclined to seek traditional agency-based services.
“With the support and contributions of our partners we are now able to provide more equitable access to critically important assistance for students,” says James McCracken, Director of Education, Ottawa Catholic School Board. “Our school teams including our teachers, administrators and support staff and led by the principal of each school, work closely with the treatment agencies and dedicated counselors to make sure that every student who needs help gets the support they need.“
One in six Ontario high school students reports symptoms of problematic drug use — this accounts for approximately 8,880 Ottawa students.
“This enhanced school-based programming is a vital step in addressing illicit drug and alcohol use before they pose serious health risks or result in other negative consequences,” says Police Chief Vern White on behalf of project s.t.e.p.
About project s.t.e.p.
project s.t.e.p. is our community’s response to addressing the need for residential substance abuse treatment, education and prevention for young people between the ages of 13 and 17. With the support of community partners, local champions and leaders, this campaign will raise the funds needed to support the development of a comprehensive substance abuse education and prevention program in our high schools and provide specialized treatment and counselling in a 24-hour residential setting. s.t.e.p. stands for support • treatment • education • prevention •
For more information, please contact:
Rebecca Cohn, United Way/Centraide Ottawa
Phone: (613) 228-6762 or Cell: (613) 299-2466
E-mail: rcohn@unitedwayottawa.ca
