Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 30, 1991 TAG: 9103290102
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By KATHY LOAN/ NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
CADRE stands for Commonwealth Alliance for Drug Rehabilitation and Education. The program has been active in Montgomery County since 1986. Schools, parents, community service and education agencies, law enforcement and other groups are involved.
"Our substance of choice is alcohol," said Susan Miller, CADRE director for Montgomery County Schools.
Most of the 80 students expelled for substance possession or intent to distribute involved alcohol, Miller said. While the number represents less than a half-percent of the total school population, there are likely more students who have individual or family problems with alcohol.
CADRE will present a workshop April 8 for parents, teachers and other professionals on the special needs of children of alcoholics.
Jerry Moe, director of children's services at Sequoia Hospital Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center in California, will lead an all-day workshop with school personnel and local agency staff, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. A parent-teacher workshop will be held at Auburn High and Middle School that evening, 4:30-8:30 p.m.
Children of alcoholics are often inattentive in school, likely because their mind is on what's going on at home, Miller said.
They may be in school but "the child is also at home trying to cover up and do everything right . . . so that from all outward appearances, the family is normal," Miller said.
Sally Bohland, guidance counselor at Christiansburg High School, said children dealing with problems tied to alcohol are often tardy or have attendance problems; are consistently concerned with getting home promptly; have self-esteem problems; and don't know how to have fun because they're growing up being told "it's not OK to play."
Some children of alcoholics may be underachievers while others are extreme overachievers. It's not uncommon for children of alcoholics to take on different roles as they try to cope, she said.
Experts identify those roles as the hero, the scapegoat, the lost child and the mascot or clown, Bohland said. Each role has different characteristics and it's important for teachers to recognize how they respond to each and what they should be doing.
"Typically I think we live with a real stereotype that most of these kids tend to be loud and obnoxious," Moe said, when the majority are good kids that seek out approval, are overachievers and very quiet.
Moe said his workshop message will be twofold: to sensitize educators to the signs and symptoms of those at risk and to teach them how they can help the students in the school setting.
"Growing up in an alcoholic family robs kids of the joy, magic and spontaneity of being a kid," he said.
Moe began his career working "primarily with adults who were alcohol- or drug-addicted, who were trying to get back their lives." He found that many clients' problems were rooted in growing up in an alcoholic family.
Through understanding, support groups and role-playing games, educators and other professionals can give those children the skills and tools they need to cope and not become part of the alcoholic cycle as adults, Moe said.
CADRE was started after the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act was established, Miller said, and the county program operates through grants from the state Department of Education. This year, $50,000 was received and Miller expects to receive more grant money next year.
In turn, her office provides individual schools with grants to address specific areas of concern once a proposal has been written. The school grants have resulted in peer support programs; a "bibliotherapy" program that helps elementary children talk about their problems through using books; and a planned camping trip for an entire grade at one elementary school.
Parents or others interested in attending the evening conference may call Miller at 382-5120, but written confirmation will also be needed to plan for a free, light supper.
by CNB