Wellness initiative & prevention policy revised for 18 19

DRUG SCREENING – WELLNESS INITIATIVE Aligned with our mission statement - Catholic. Marianist. Forming our Students into Remarkable Men. Archbishop Moeller High School believes in a holistic education. To help accomplish this, Moeller has established a wellness initiative that will center on keeping students healthy and free of drugs through education, screening, and support.

The goals of this initiative are:   

To educate students about substance abuse and discourage the use of drugs and alcohol.

To provide early intervention for students who begin using in high school.

To foster an environment that makes it easier for students to say "no” to drugs and alcohol.

Questions Who will conduct the testing?

Moeller has contracted Psychemedics Corporation, the world's leading and largest hair analysis drug testing company. Psychemedics is used for drug screening in hundreds of schools and colleges, as well as over 10% of the Fortune 500 companies, major police departments, and other public entities. More information can be found at www.psychemedics.com. Hair samples will be collected by a trained Moeller staff member and sent to the Psychemedics lab for analysis.

Why did Moeller choose hair testing? What drugs will be identified in the process?

Hair testing offers the widest detection window compared to other methods that analyze bodily fluids like saliva or urine. Other methods generally detect drug use for only the previous 2-3 days. Psychemedics hair analysis can detect use over the previous 90 days for the following drugs: Cocaine, marijuana, opiates (including heroin, codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone), methamphetamine, Ecstasy (MDMA), Eve (MDEA), and phencyclidine (PCP).

Are all students screened?

All students will be screened during the first semester. After the initial screenings, a percentage of the student population will be randomly selected for testing. Random lists by number will be generated by Psychemedics.

Psychemedics does not receive the names of the students or any personal information. A student may also be asked to take a drug test if the student’s behavior creates suspicion that he may be using.

Are transfer students screened?

Yes, once the transfer student has begun attending classes at Moeller, he will meet with the designated member of the administration. The policy will be reviewed with the student. Soon after, usually within the week, the student will be screened.

What should students and parents expect in regards to the testing process?

Trained Moeller staff members will collect a small snip of hair from each student. The samples will be labeled by number and sent to a lab for analysis. Test results are returned within two weeks, and the test numbers are then correlated with student names by the designated member of the administration. If a student tests negative for drugs, no specific notification will be made to the parents or the student.

How will positive test results be handled?

This program is designed for prevention and intervention. The student assistance counselor will schedule a meeting with the student and at least one parent or guardian. The purpose of this meeting is to establish interventions and assist the family in seeking help. The student who fails the test is required to comply with all terms of the intervention and will be retested every 90-100 days. If there is a second positive test, the student will be referred to the designated member of the administration.

What are the consequences if a student tests positive?

This program is not designed to be punitive. This means that a student will not lose participation in cocurricular activities, will not be assigned detentions, and will not be assigned a behavior contract for the first positive test result.

Who will have access to the students' results?

All results will be sent directly to the designated member of the administration and the student assistance counselor. Positive results will only be shared with the student, the parents or guardian, the student assistance counselor, the student's counselor, and with medical or counseling professionals, as appropriate. Confidentiality is an important aspect of this program.

Can a student be retested if the family thinks the test result is inaccurate?

Positive results are automatically subjected to retesting at Psychemedics before final confirmation and reporting of the results to the school. If a family believes the test to be a false-positive, they may request a second test be taken within three days. This will be at the family’s expense. All tests are conducted by Psychemedics, no exceptions.

What will happen to drug testing records?

Psychemedics holds positive tests for five years. No documentation pertaining to student screening results will be made part of permanent records. Student names, numbers, and results related to the drug testing program will be destroyed during the summer after the student's graduation.

What will happen if a student or family refuses to participate in the program?

To continue being a student at Moeller High School, you are required to consent to all aspects of this policy. In addition, attempting to adulterate, tamper with, and/or otherwise manipulate the testing process will result in disciplinary action that could include expulsion.

What if the student has a prescription?

A valid prescription will be taken into consideration as part of testing. Moeller may request a copy of the prescription or of the medicine bottle, along with the prescribing doctor's contact information.

Will there be an additional cost?

The school's operating budget will cover the expenses for this program.

ARCHBISHOP MOELLER HIGH SCHOOL DRUG PREVENTION POLICY Students and parents are required to consent to all aspects of this policy during the entire course of the student’s enrollment at Archbishop Moeller High School. In keeping with our mission statement, we hold all students, parents, faculty, and staff to a high standard of behavior in areas that affect the health and safety of our students. Recognizing the inherent risks that substance abuse poses to adolescents, Moeller is committed to providing our students with the education, testing, and support that promotes a drug-free learning environment.

Thus, Moeller High School prohibits: the use of alcoholic beverages and the misuse of controlled substances (as defined by the Ohio Revised Code or federal law), the use of illicit substances, prescription or over-the-counter medications for any purpose other than their intended medical use, and the possession of drug paraphernalia by a Moeller student. The Drug Prevention Policy applies at all times and in all places throughout the student’s enrollment at Moeller High School, including the months of June, July and August. A student in violation of this policy will be subject to intervention, assessment and treatment, and/or disciplinary measures within the sole discretion of Moeller High School.

Consequences for violations of this policy off-campus and/or outside of regular school hours: 

If a student is found to be in possession of a prohibited substance, using a prohibited substance, or under the influence of a prohibited substance and this is a first offense, he will be referred to the student assistance counselor and an intervention plan of action will be put in place. Consultation with parent and student will emphasize available counseling and community resources. An assessment by a certified drug/alcohol counselor or licensed physician trained in chemical dependency will be required.

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If a student is found to be in possession of a prohibited substance, using a prohibited substance, or under the influence of a prohibited substance and this is a second offense, he and his parents will be referred to the designated member of the administration. The student will be placed on a behavior contract.

Consequences for violations of this policy during regular school hours, or on campus, or at any school activity: If a student is found to be in possession of a prohibited substance, using a prohibited substance, or under the influence of a prohibited substance while at Moeller High School during school hours or at any schoolsponsored activity, the student will be referred to the designated member of the administration. The student will be placed on a behavior contract or dismissed from Moeller High School. If the student is retained, he will be referred to the student assistance counselor.

Consequences for violations of this policy that apply at any time: If a student is found to be selling (dealing) a prohibited substance, or has quantities of drugs, money or other items that would indicate that he was selling a prohibited substance, the result would be dismissal. Local law enforcement may be notified of the incident.

DRUG PREVENTION, SCREENING, AND INTERVENTION Annual Screening: All students will be screened for drug use during the first semester of the school year.

Random Screening: A percentage of the student body will be randomly selected by the testing company for additional screening. Consequently, some students will be screened more than once during the school year. To maintain confidentiality, students will be identified by the testing company by ID numbers only. The company will generate periodic lists of ID numbers for random testing beginning in the first semester.

Behavioral Screening: Any student who displays behavior that may be related to the use of prohibited substances may be subject to screening. A student may be directed by an administrator to submit to screening based upon his behavior before, during, or after the school day or at a school-sponsored activity.

Follow-Up Screening: Any student who tests positive for drug use will be subject to follow-up screening. All follow-up screening will begin approximately 90-100 days after the first positive test and continue until two successive negative test results are achieved.

DRUG SCREENING METHOD The drug screening program uses a hair sample to detect the presence of illegal drugs. The hair will be collected by a trained Moeller staff member and analyzed by Psychemedics Corporation, a licensed clinical laboratory with expertise in hair analysis that can detect drug use over several months.

Hair samples are collected in controlled circumstances with chain-of-custody procedures established in the presence of the student. Typically, a small sample of head hair (about the thickness of a shoelace tip) will be collected. However, if a sample of head hair cannot be obtained, body hair from the arm or leg will be collected for testing.

NOTIFICATION OF TEST RESULTS If a student’s test result is negative, no specific notification will be made to the parents or student. The parents and student will be notified of a first positive test result by the student assistance counselor. If the student tests positive for a second time, the designated member of administration will schedule a meeting with the student and parents. If a parent believes that there was a false positive test, they can request an immediate second screening at their expense by the same means and through the same testing company used by Moeller High School.

INTERVENTION MATRIX First Positive Test  Meet with the student assistance counselor.  Complete professional drug and alcohol assessment.  Send results of drug and alcohol assessment to the student assistance counselor.  Follow through on all recommendations of the drug and alcohol assessment.  Follow-up testing every 90-100 days until the student has two successive negative test results.

Second Positive Test  Meet with the designated member of administration.  The student will be placed on a behavior contract.  The student is required to follow through on all aspects of the professional assessment and the school behavior contract. Failure to do so will likely result in dismissal.

SELF-DISCLOSURE/VOLUNTARY REFERRAL Chemical dependency self-disclosures either by parents or the student are encouraged at Moeller High School.

Moeller recognizes that chemical dependency is a treatable disease and will extend to the student and his family all the support that is available. This support may be internal or external but essentially requires following the steps as if having a positive test. Recovery for the student is the primary goal of the self-disclosure program.

Thus, this allows the student and his parents to take the steps necessary to make sure that the student will test drug free after one hundred days from the notification of the disclosure. A positive test after self-disclosure will result in being viewed under the second positive test criteria.

MEDICAL EXCEPTIONS Recognizing that some students require medication during the school day to maintain optimal health and learning status, Archbishop Moeller High School seeks to cooperate fully with students, parents, and the medical profession. The school nurse will coordinate the administration of medication at school. Moeller’s Medication Policy is posted on the school’s website and is included in the Handbook for Parents and Students.

The stimulant medications currently prescribed for ADD/ADHD are controlled substances; distributing them or using them without a prescription is a federal offense. The administration of these medications is closely monitored at school and parents are urged to take the necessary precautions at home to ensure that these medications are not available for use/abuse by others in the school community. Any student in possession of a controlled substance during school hours or at school activities will be in violation of the Drug Prevention Policy.

PROACTIVE DETERRENTS Moeller High School reserves the right to use breathalyzers at school-sponsored events on and off campus. In addition, the school buildings and parking lots may be monitored with drug detection canines.