Chemical Health Services

If you have concerns about your child, please contact your child’s counselor or the Student Support Counselor at 651-604-1421.

Focusing on Prevention and Intervention

Chemical health support and prevention services within our district address a wide range of issues students may face. Our goal is to educate students about making positive, chemically-free choices that help with their academic progress, social engagement, and emotional well-being.

We collaborate with students, families, schools, staff, and the community to promote chemical health through prevention, intervention, and support by:

Providing chemical health awareness and programming.
Working with school staff regarding student concerns.
Addressing an individual student's chemical use.
Partnering with parents to explore options (contracts, chemical evaluations, groups, treatment, or other interventions).
Following up on district students receiving chemical violations.
Collaborating with community resources for chemical health and related issues.

Information & Resources

Recognizing Substance Abuse

Find Information to help you determine if your student has a substance abuse problem:

Six Steps: Talking to Kids about Alcohol and Other Drugs

Step 1: "I Care"
Tell your child that you care about him or her. Attempt to build upon your relationship to help reduce the potential defensiveness in your child. An example of this approach is "I care about you, and I don’t want you to get hurt."
Step 2: "I See"
In this step, you need to tell your child what he or she has done that has caused you concern. Just give the facts, not your opinion, based upon what you have seen or found. An example of this is "When you came in last night, you were three hours late and smelled like alcohol."
Step 3: "I Feel"
This is where you tell your child about how this behavior or discovery has made you feel. Be sure to take away any blame from this step. For example, "I am really worried that you might get hurt or killed."
Step 4: "Listen"
This step has to be one of the most important. You will need to listen to what the adolescent has to say about his or her drug use or drinking behaviors. Some may not say anything at all at this point, but it is useful to allow this opportunity for the young person to tell his or her side. It is possible that your child is not ready to talk. You can tell him or her that you are available to listen to what he or she has to say another time.
Step 5: "I Want"
After hearing your child’s side, you need to tell him or her what you want to happen next and what you want your child to do. For example, "I don’t want you to use drugs at all." Reinforce that you "want" him or her to continue seeing the therapist if the problem does not get better.
Step 6: "I Will"
This final step is where you tell your child what you will and will not do in order to help him or her with this problem. Some may choose to be available to just listen when the young person chooses to discuss the issue. Other parents may choose to make an appointment with a chemical health counselor. The best time to talk is when you have calmed down from the initial shock of learning about your child’s use of alcohol or other drugs. You will need to find a place to talk where you can’t be interrupted. The time to talk is not while your child is still under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. If the problem persists, encourage your child to make an appointment with the therapist.

Community Resources

Below are links and phone numbers for community resources, including various hotlines, prevention and treatment centers, and many other services.

In a crisis, call Ramsey County Children’s Crisis Response at 651-266-7878

Websites

AA/NA/ALATEEN:

Books (can be found online and at bookstores):

Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy by Cynthia Kuhn, Scott Swartwelder and Wilkie Wilson
Recovering My Kid: Parenting Young Adults in Treatment and Beyond by Joseph Lee