| Description | | D.I.T.E.P.
Drug Impairment Training For
Educational Professionals
WHAT IS D.I.T.E.P?
D.I.T.E.P. is a program developed to train educational professionals about drug
impairment, drug recognition and drug abuse in the school setting. D.I.T.E.P. also
trains educational professionals how to deal with students that may be impaired by
drugs.
Program History
The 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), conducted by the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), indicated
that an estimated 19.5 million Americans (8.2% of the population aged 12 or older)
had used an illicit drug during the previous month. Drug abuse, whether it involves
controlled substances or the misuse of prescription drugs, has permeated almost every
level of society to some degree. In 2003, an estimated 11 million people reported
driving under the influence of an illicit drug during the past year (1). As many as 18%
of 21-year-olds report drugged driving at least once during the past year (2).
To help combat this growing problem of drugs in the educational environment, at least
three states, Arizona, Kansas and New York, each independently developed training to
address this issue. In cooperation with the International Association of Chiefs of
Police (IACP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), the
strengths from the three programs were combined to form the Drug Impairment
Training for Educational Professionals (DITEP). This training is intended to provide
school administrators and nurses with a systematic approach to recognizing and
evaluating individuals in the academic environment who are abusing and impaired by
drugs, both legal and illegal, in order to provide early recognition and intervention.
DITEP is derived from the national Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC)
Program, a successful law enforcement procedure used to detect drug and alcohol
impaired drivers. The methods employed in this training are based on medical and
scientific facts. The information is supported by research conducted in both laboratory
and field studies. The DEC Program was validated in laboratory by studies conducted
at Johns Hopkins University, and in the field by the Southern California Research
Institute. Although DITEP is not intended to qualify participants as Drug Recognition
Experts (DREs), it is intended to make participants competent and confident in
evaluating and documenting those individuals suspected of abusing drugs in the
school setting.
The training will enable school nurses to determine first of all, whether or not the
student is impaired. If it is determined that there is impairment, whether the
impairment is due to a medical problem or is drug related. And finally, if the
impairment is drug related, through proven diagnostic procedures, what category or
categories of drugs that are likely causing the observed impairment.
By providing training to school officials and health care professionals, it is anticipated
that drug usage in schools employing an aggressive evaluation and detection program
will decline. Consequently, not only will the disruption caused by individuals abusing
drugs be decreased, but also the incidence of those individuals driving to and from
schools while impaired by either alcohol or drugs will also be greatly reduced, making
our communities and schools a safer place for all.
Course Overview
Course Content:
The DITEP training is two (2) days. Day one (1) is for ANYONE (affiliated with the
school) interested in this type of training. Day one works well for teachers, guidance
counselors, school resource officers, sports coaches, and also high-level
administrator(s) since it focuses on general drug impairment and policies. Day two is
best suited for those who will actually conduct the hands-on evaluations, usually
school nurses. The course program outline includes the following:
Day One
Introduction and Overview
Drugs in Society
Policy, Procedures, and Rules
Overview of Alcohol
Drug Identification, Categories and Effects
Contacting the Parent(s)
References
Day Two
Eye Examinations
Vital Signs
Divided Attention Tests
Poly Drugs
Assessment Process
Conclusion
Course Planning:
DITEP training is conducted ONLY Certified Drug Recognition Expert
Instructors, who have completed specialized training in presenting the DITEP
curriculum.
DITEP training does not qualify participants as drug recognition experts (DREs), or
train individuals to determine specific drugs or drug categories a student may be
impaired by. It is intended to make high school nurses, principals and school resource
officers competent and confident in documenting students suspected of abusing and
being impaired by drugs. |
| Location | | HATC-188 |
| Section(s) | |
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