[Winona Online Democracy]
Hello Everyone,
I agree with Scott Lowery's points on looking at the front end of the drug
and alcohol problem instead of just the back end when legal consequences
have to be and should be applied. As a High School teacher, the problems
of drug and alcohol use are huge. The larger issues of character education
and community/civic disentegration are even more important but we rarely
seem to have a chance or ability to discuss those issues.
We have many under utilized resources in our community that could be used
to fix these issues before they become problems.
We have ideas for mentorship programs, we know we need more counselors,
support groups, and early intervention groups, there are teachers (like
John Ruggeburg at WSHS) and community members who are locally and
nationally known in the fields of character education, etc.
It seems that many solutions are there. They sit idle on the shelves half
baked.
What we lack is the committment and education to make these plans happen.
If the committement and education is there, the funds should follow...even
in today's current tax cutting frenzy atmosphere.
Maybe some kind of community wide task force should be created for a
limited amount of time with the express purpose of coming up with concrete
actions.
What do others think?
Dwayne
-------------
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2000 22:23:52 -0600
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>From: Scott Lowery <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: [Winona] drug & alcohol prevention
>Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Precedence: bulk
>
>[Winona Online Democracy]
>
>First, it's obviously not news to anyone working with at-risk teens that
>this is a huge issue, and that it's one that is connected to other huge
>issues. I only have time for a general observation and a quick thought
>about one prevention approach.
>
>The general observation: it is naturally tempting to look first to
>increased legal consequences. Bear in mind the cost of incarceration and
>the incredible logjam that exists in courts and corrections. We could
>theoretically get involved in some fairly intensive, "deep-end"
>intervention services and still be much less expensive than sending kids
>away.
>
>One approach: for the past two years, Family Services Collaborative money
>has funded chemical dependency counselors on-site at two off-campus,
>alternative school settings for teens. My experience has been that the
>counselors are in very high demand, and that they can't ever seem to catch
>up with each of the kids who wants to meet with them or participate in a
>group. I don't know whether there is any funding for this to continue this
>year. It seems to me that approaches like this are very cost-effective, and
>yet it seems to be a rare event to have "front-line staff" cross over
>agency borders, with the firm, on-going funding and thoughtful supervision
>needed to develop a successful program. Why is that so rare a thing?
>
>Scott Lowery
>461 Sunnyview Drive, Rollingstone MN 55969
>home phone: (507)689-4532
>school phone: (507)453-3888
>home email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>school email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>"You can fool too many of the people too much of the time." James Thurber
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>----------------
>This message was posted to the Winona Online Democracy Project.
>Please visit http://onlinedemocracy.winona.org to subscribe or unsubscribe.
>Please sign all messages posted to this list with your actual name.
>Posting of commercial solicitations is not allowed on this list.
>Report problems to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
----------------
This message was posted to the Winona Online Democracy Project.
Please visit http://onlinedemocracy.winona.org to subscribe or unsubscribe.
Please sign all messages posted to this list with your actual name.
Posting of commercial solicitations is not allowed on this list.
Report problems to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
