Now this is something entirely new in light of recent teacher/SDs/taxes debates..what do YOU think?

How do you feel about this?
I'm floored, and not in a good way or a bad way, just ....surprised?
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"Parents support William Floyd drug clinic"


Parents and residents Monday night peppered William Floyd school district officials with questions about a proposed drug treatment facility housed at the high school, but they were mostly supportive of the plan.

April Coppola, who has two small children in the district, said, "I think it's a very positive thing for our community, for any community."

William Floyd appears to be the first school district in the state to house a fully-staffed substance abuse treatment clinic on site. The outpatient clinic, which would treat only William Floyd students and still must receive state certification and school board approval, would have capacity for 60 patients.

It would be at no cost to the district, and Huntington-based nonprofit drug rehabilitation company Daytop Village Inc. would pay $18,000 a year to lease a 150-square-foot suite in the 3,200-student school in Mastic Beach, where the program will be run.

Caroline Sullivan from Daytop called it a "highly structured" and "adolescent-specific treatment" program. She is hoping state approval will come soon, and school board president Robert Vecchio said the state is in favor of the concept.

Children are doing harder drugs at an earlier age, Sullivan said. "Our kids are dying," she told the audience. The state will closely monitor the program, she said.

One resident, Donna Kukura, said she was initially opposed until hearing that no drugs will be dispensed. Others were concerned about confidentiality and wanted details of how the clinic would operate.

School officials said the idea came out of the problems students struggling with drug addiction had getting transportation to other drug treatment facilities, making success that much harder. Daytop's application said the nearest program was two miles away and not accessible by public transportation.

"It's worth a shot," Vecchio said. "We have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Admissions would be walk-ins, referrals from school counselors and those mandated by court.

The location would most likely be in the high school's student counseling center. Daytop would keep files separate and not share with the school, the application by Daytop said.


source: newsday.com

Re: Now this is something entirely new in light of recent teacher/SDs/taxes debates..what do YOU think?

Wow...I'm with you. No immediate positive or negative opinion. It's sad that there is a need for this at the adolescent level, but at least there is an option for help.

Re: Now this is something entirely new in light of recent teacher/SDs/taxes debates..what do YOU think?

Interesting. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that they want to help these wayward youths but I find the whole thing a bit odd. I hope I don't get flamed for this but if they need a drug rehablitation center for 60 high school students, something must be wrong somewhere down the pipeline I would say that they may fare better with early drug abuse education, or maybe a program to help kids coming from substance abuse homes, but I don't live there so I don't really know if that's someth that has been tried. I am a bit perplexed about how its not costing the district. Daytop is leasing the space, essentially paying for the patients it will be treating? So what does daytop get out of it?

Re: Now this is something entirely new in light of recent teacher/SDs/taxes debates..what do YOU think?

Something needs to be done. I'm not sure if this is the right solution but at least they are trying something to help out these students. There is a serious drug problem in LI schools and it isn't just a little pot. These kids are doing hard drugs at a young age, heroin, cocaine, meth... Contrary to what some may believe it is not just kids from "bad homes".
I do hope there is more education done to help prevent these kids from needing rehab type programs At least this school district is doing something to try and address the issue, instead of sweeping it under the rug like so many other ones do.

Re: Now this is something entirely new in light of recent teacher/SDs/taxes debates..what do YOU think?

I don't have kids but I live in this school district. I think it's a great idea to help the kids.

Drug use crosses socio-ecomonic boundaries, I went to school in a very wealthy area where the kids did cocaine. Now the kids, of all ecomonic backgrounds are doing all kinds of drugs and stealing them from parents medicine cabinets, etc.

If they can help these kids and maybe help some other kids to not do it, it's a good thing.

Re: Now this is something entirely new in light of recent teacher/SDs/taxes debates..what do YOU think?

too reactionary..
they need to focus on what is causing the problem instead of focusing on fixing the result.

drug education.
neighborhood watch.
parents taking some accountability and drug testing their kids.
police dogs inspecting lockers.
safe after school activities to keep kids out of trouble: open gym night etc.

Re: Now this is something entirely new in light of recent teacher/SDs/taxes debates..what do YOU think?

I was surprised to hear about it but it can't hurt to try something different.

Re: Now this is something entirely new in light of recent teacher/SDs/taxes debates..what do YOU think?

I think it's incredibly sad that something like this is needed in a high school. But the fact remains that it IS needed, because kids are getting hooked on serious drugs and they don't stand a fighting chance without professional help.

I am curious to see how (and if) it would actually work, but like someone in the article said, it's worth a shot. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

But like another poster said, something also needs to be done to get to these kids BEFORE they touch their first drug. I know this is so much easier said than done. I certainly don't know a solution. But as someone who is hoping to start a family in the near future, I pray we figure something out soon.

Re: Now this is something entirely new in light of recent teacher/SDs/taxes debates..what do YOU think?

I agree that education & prevention are needed, but that doesn't help the kids that are already addicted or on the road to addiction.

I think this is a positive thing, but yes, it should probably be combined with preventative measures.