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The purpose of my work in Rush Henrietta is to help our kids realize their potential as students and young citizens. Illicit drugs and compulsive addictions block a young persons path to success. In the past 33 years working as a professional therapist with adolescents and their families, I have yet to witness a single case where the abuse of drugs has assisted anyone in their quest for personal success. On the contrary, the consequences of drug abuse can be life altering, serious, and permanent. I am here to enable the process of health and well being for kids and families in this district.My mission as your substance abuse counselor is to offer my knowledge, experience and skill set as a means to serve the children, parents, teachers, counselors and administrators in this vibrant school district. I am here to do everything I can to enable personal health by addressing student and parent issues with chemical use, abuse and addiction. I will assist with drug prevention programming by working with and supporting our health teachers. I am available for counseling, evaluation and intervention services to help any of our families who need assistance with this issue. For those who are in recovery, I am available for relapse prevention and support here in the school. I believe that when young people have problems in their life as a result of abusing chemicals, they are, in reality, asking the adults in their life for some help. My mission is to see to it that they get the help they are asking for."Ah, Houston, we have a problem."As you know, drug abuse, addiction and compulsive behaviors are a reality in all of our school districts. Binge use of alcohol is reported by 31% of high school seniors. E-cigarettes in some schools are at 28% and the young adult smoking rate is over 20% by the time kids are 24 years old. 22% of high school students in Monroe County reported pot use in the past month and 10% reported going to school in the past month under the influence of pot. Heroin use and opiate drug use has increased recently at alarming rates along with prescription drug abuse. We also have to contend with internet gambling, pornography, compulsive gaming, and cell phone use. I am here to help this district give our kids their best chance to realize their potential by helping them successfully navigate the dangerous waters of chemical abuse and compulsive addictions. You can read more information about recent trends in teen use at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Web Site. publications/drugfacts/high-school-youth-trends
