The WASD Drug and Alcohol Task Force

ABOUT US

The Wallenpaupack Area School District Drug and Alcohol Task Force membership is comprehensive, reflecting a diverse cross section of the community. Membership includes parents, educators, business professionals, law enforcement officials, government officials, health care providers, journalists and PTA representatives.

The Drug and Alcohol Task Force is dedicated to:

STUDENT SERVICES
Student Assistance Program
The WASD Student Assistance Program is known as FAME (Faculty Advisors Maintaining Effectiveness).  Both the high school and middle school buildings have a trained FAME Team made up of teachers, administrators and counselors who meet several times a week to provide services to referred students.  In addition, every building in the district has a full-time Student Assistance/Crisis Counselor.

The FAME program provides a means of identifying and helping students who have challenges which interfere with their success at school.

There are many possible reasons for referral to the FAME Team, such as:

Through FAME, students may be offered help in many ways including counseling, mentoring and support groups. 
The district has hired a Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS), based in the high school Guidance Office, to provide expertise to the FAME Teams in addressing drug and alcohol issues,  in addition to working with individual students and assisting with student support groups.

Students can be referred to the Student Assistance Program by parents, peers, administration, faculty or staff, and self-referral.  Fill out the High School Student Referral Form and return to the Guidance Department. Parental permission is required for student participation in FAME.  Involvement in FAME is confidential.

MEETINGS
The Wallenpaupack Drug and Alcohol Task Force will be coordinating “Parent Nights” for the 2012-2013 school year (Dates TBA).

The nights will coordinate with the Middle School dances, so they will run the same night as a dance from 7:15-8:45 pm. The nights will be open to anyone in the community who would like to attend. They will be advertised through the school as well as church bulletins and local agencies.

Queen of Peace Church, Hawley United Methodist Church, Wallenpaupack Free Methodist, and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church have agreed to host the Parent Nights at their location. The churches will be responsible for providing the space as well as food and drinks.

Each night we will focus on a different topic impacting today’s adolescents and a local agency or person will give the presentation. So far we have three presentations planned:

Possible other topics include Drugs, Prescription Drugs, Teens and Jobs, Career Planning, Nutrition, as well as others.

Tentative schedule for a Parent Night would be:

For additional information, contact:
Joann Hudak, Ed.D. Task Force Chairperson,hudak@wallenpaupack.org or (570) 251-3000

RESOURCES

WAYNE COUNTY DRUG & ALCOHOL COMMISSION
The Wayne County Drug & Alcohol Commission is a public non-profit agency. The Commission is fully licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Bureau of Drug & Alcohol Programs. The Commission is committed to providing prevention, early intervention, and comprehensive drug-free treatment services to the Wayne County area. These services shall be made available to every resident of Wayne County regardless of race, creed, color, age, sex or ability to pay.

The Wayne Co. D&A Commission provides drug and alcohol assessments (no charge for adolescents), prevention services (including meeting with FAME Teams), DUI and Underage Drinking classes, case management and referral for D&A counseling.

Outpatient counseling and referral for inpatient treatment for Wayne Co. residents is provided in the Honesdale D&A office by Carbon/Monroe/Pike D&A Commission.  Their contact number in the Wayne Co. office is 253-5099. There is no charge for adolescents or SAP referrals.
 
The Commission closely guards the confidentiality of its clients.

Contact Information:  (570) 253-6022

THE CARBON-MONROE-PIKE DRUG AND ALCOHOL COMMISSION
The primary mission of the authority is the assessment of the local drug & alcohol prevention, intervention and treatment service need, as well as the planning for and funding of the local continuum of services for the tri-county community.

Drug and alcohol assessments (no charge fro adolescents) for Pike County residents are provided by Catholic Social Services in Milford, PA - (570) 296-1054 or NHS in Pocono Mt., PA - (570) 839-3097.

Contact Information: Pike County (570) 421-1960  

The following treatment facilities offer adolescent inpatient drug/alcohol rehabilitation services.

• Caron Foundation
• Clearbrook
• Pyramid Health Care

Education and Information for Students

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for Teens
• Above the Influence
• The Partnership for a Drug Free America
• The Cool Spot (Age appropriate site for middle school students)
• Teens Health

Education and Information for Parents/Guardians:

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• The Anti-Drug
• The Dangerous Game Your Kid May Be Playing - The Choking Game (Psychology Today)
• The Partnership for a Drug Free America - Time to Talk
• The Partnership for a Drug Free America - Time to Act

Help & Treatment for Students/Parents

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• SAMHSA Treatment Locator

Support for Parents & Students

• Al-Anon/Alateen
• Nar-Anon