Student Assistance Services News
May 2022
Student Assistance Specialists (SASs) have expertise in the mental health and substance use field. They have Master’s degrees in Social Work or Counseling, and most are licensed by the Virginia Department of Health Professions as Clinical Social Workers, Professional Counselors or Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioners. As members of the Unified Mental Health Team, Student Assistance Specialists support LCPS initiatives that promote student connectedness, enhance student resilience and educate about mental health and substance use issues. We provide educational presentations for students and parents, restorative practices, individualized and group support, referral services, coordination with providers, staff development and consultation with parents and staff.
To find your school's SAS assignment, visit our website.
Stone Hill students step up for prevention
Nihila Umasankar and Ashnie Trikha, two 8th grade students from Stone Hill Middle School, are hoping to educate students here in Loudoun County about the dangers of Opioid abuse. In April, Nihila and Ashnie placed in the top 10 in the Step Up Loudoun competition in which students present projects designed to offer real-world solutions to important issues in Loudoun County. Their project focuses on educating other students about Opioid misuse and abuse. See below for a description of our interview with both students:
Why choose this project? Nihila recalls, “I remember finding an article in my news feed one day, and reading the statistics involved in the Opioid Epidemic- I was shocked and wanted to know if students at Stone Hill were also informed on this topic. Soon after, Ashnie and I created and sent out a survey with questions about the Opioid Crisis and how responsibly teens use prescription drugs. From our results, we saw that the majority of students were unfamiliar with the Opioid Crisis, and did not take the necessary precautions while taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs.” This realization kickstarted their mission to educate youth in the community about drug addiction, drug abuse, and proper use of prescription drugs.
What did you learn? For 6 months, Nihila and Ashnie compiled scientific research, interviewed professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, law enforcement and substance use prevention fields. They created a website and social media account and developed flyers. They learned that drug use is not always ill-intended. According to Nihila, in some cases, people take Opioids for “pain relief after surgical procedures, serious sports injuries, or cancer” treatment. They also learned about the danger of street drugs and their accessibility to addicts. Unfortunately, many illegal drugs are laced with fentanyl, a highly potent drug, which makes street drugs even more fatal.
What should students know about Opioids? In hopes of creating a safer community, Nihila and Ashnie want students to responsibly use legal medicines and know that some prescribed drugs can lead to addiction. They urge students to recognize the warning signs of addiction and contact a trusted adult or medical professional for help. Nihila says, "When someone sees our project, we hope that they are reminded of the precautions they need to take while on prescription and over the counter drugs, and warned of how addictive some medicines can be."
What should parents should know about Opioids? Ashnie shared research stating that adolescents who use prescribed opioids for any reason before graduating high school are 33 percent more likely to suffer from opioid use disorder before age 23(1). She also warns that "A teenager can get both physically and physiologically dependent on this drug after just 5 days, while it takes several weeks for the typical adult to get addicted to opioids. This is because adolescents’ brains are still developing, and will rewire to become physically dependent on the drug more rapidly than an average adult. Teenagers may use Opioids, or other drugs, for many reasons, including influence of peer pressure, curiosity, addiction to prescription medication, etc. Therefore, Ashnie urges parents to "be mindful of this information especially before prescribing Opioid drugs to their children.”
The Opioid Epidemic has affected families here in Loudoun County and across the world. Opioid addiction has skyrocketed mortality rates with almost 500,000 people having died of an opioid-related overdose from 1999-2019, according to the CDC(2) . While there have been strides taken to combat this epidemic from public health organizations, non-profit agencies, lawmakers, law enforcement and the medical community, it remains a serious public health issue.
For more information on opioids visit the prescription medicines topic page on the National Institute on Drug Abuse website. For conversation starters with your teen, visit NIDA's Conversation Starters page for parents.
(1) Yule, A. M., Lyons, R. M., & Wilens, T. E. (2018). Opioid Use Disorders in Adolescents-Updates in Assessment and Management. Current pediatrics reports, 6(2), 99–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-018-0161-z
(2) Centers for Disease Control (2021, March 16). Opioid Basics. https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/index.html
Interview by Fiona Brown, LPC
Contributing writer Madison Moseley, Freedom High School Capstone student
Co-writer/editor Fiona Brown, LPC
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Unified Mental Health Teams meet monthly to plan schoolwide initiatives and targeted supports to improve the well-being of students throughout the school. They work as a team, so if you have a concern related to your student's well-being, speaking with any one of these team members is an excellent starting point for pursuing care to meet your child's needs. Visit our Mental Health and Community Resources for Families page for more information.
Upcoming Event - Talking to your teen about vaping
Education and Support Resources
Increase Your Knowledge
Safe Storage and Safe Disposal Educational Videos | CADCA
https://www.lcps.org/Page/223622 - LCPS Parent/Student Substance Use information
https://www.lcps.org/Page/201540 - LCPS Alcohol Information
https://www.lcps.org/Page/184676 - LCPS Drug Information
https://www.lcps.org/Page/201538 - LCPS Tobacco and E-Cig Information
https://easyread.drugabuse.gov/ - Easy-to-read drug facts
https://www.truthinitiative.org - Tobacco and Nicotine education, advocacy and cessation resources
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/comorbidity/covid-19-resources - COVID-19 & Substance Use
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X20303992—Stanford study on vaping increasing COVID-19 risk
https://www.dea.gov/factsheets - DEA website - drug-specific information, pill identifiers, social media trends
https://www.addictionpolicy.org/addiction-a-z— Addiction Policy Forum website—provides educational videos and articles
https://starttalkingnow.org/ - Education and tips for parents on talking to their children about substance use
Support for you as a Loved One
https://www.familiesagainstnarcotics.org/ - Resource for families
https://drugfree.org/article/online-support-community-for-parents-caregivers/ - Online Support Community for parents/caregivers
https://www.alanondistrict10.org/ - Support for family members of someone struggling with addiction—Zoom meetings
https://www.alanondistrict10.org/zoom-meetings—Support for children of parents struggling with addiction—Zoom meetings
https://al-anon.org/for-members/members-resources/mobile-app/ - Find online Alateen meetings
https://www.addictionpolicy.org/find-help—Addiction Policy Forum website for finding and navigating the treatment experience
Find a Treatment Provider
https://findtreatment.gov/ - SAMHSA treatment locator
1-800-662-HELP (4357) TTY: 1-800-487-4889
www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline - SAMSHA National Helpline
https://www.smartrecovery.org/smart-recovery-toolbox/smart-recovery-online/ - Online Recovery Community: Self-Management and Recovery Training
https://recoverydharma.org/- Recovery community based on Buddhist Principles, virtual meetings available
https://na.org/?ID=virtual_meetings—Virtual Narcotics Anonymous meetings
https://nvintergroup.org/ - Virtual Alcoholics Anonymous meetings
https://www.lcps.org/Page/228303 - LCPS listing of community treatment providers
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