Early Intervention Health Systems

FCD offers training and consultation to help schools implement health systems for responding to concerns about student substance abuse within the community. Among the many options are early intervention protocols, counseling, evaluation, support groups, drug testing, and leaves of absence to address health-related problems. No matter what approach the school uses, the earlier a problem can be identified and addressed, the greater the chance for a resolution that does not jeopardize the health of the student or the school community.

When the only response to substance use and abuse is disciplinary, faculty, students, and parents often refrain from seeking assistance for students whose behavior concerns them. This can drive use underground and cause adults to look the other way. A clear and visible "health track" for those students who take the initiative to seek help for themselves or others, when balanced with consistent and strong disciplinary responses, encourages members of the school community to take responsibility for one another's well being.

For many schools with whom FCD has worked, the heart of the helping structure for student substance use is a faculty intervention team (FIT). A FIT is a group of faculty members who work with the school's counselors to address student substance abuse and/or related issues before they become a health or discipline problem. The FIT provides a means for community members to express concern about an individual. The team receives referrals from anyone in close contact with students: e.g., teachers, parents, administrators, custodians, other students. The referrals may be about someone thought to, or known to be, using substances—or may reflect a general concern about a student's behavior or health that might, upon evaluation, turn out to have nothing to do with the use of substances. By being discrete, supportive, and effective, the faculty intervention team wins the confidence of those who might otherwise hesitate to get involved.

The benefits of establishing a faculty intervention team are numerous, yet it is just one model of a successful structure for early intervention. Whether a school establishes a FIT or some other means for responding to concerns about substance abuse, such a mechanism is central to maintaining a healthy school community. FCD has helped many schools create intervention systems. It is one of the most immediate and effective ways there is to protect young people from substance abuse.