Held Hostage by Heroin: Drug-Free School Polices
A Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach and Marshfield Area Coalition for Youth column (Submitted to FOCUS)
It is that time of year again. Backpacks filled with sharpened pencils. Paper fills shiny folders. As a new school year starts, it is important for students, families, and the community to understand the school policies for the upcoming year.
Marshfield Area Coalition for Youth (MACY) and Marshfield Clinic support the mission of drug-free schools. Both Unified School District of Marshfield and Columbus Catholic Schools have drug-free schools policies.
A drug-free school policy is meant to create an alcohol, tobacco and drug free environment for students, staff and visitors. The Unified School District of Marshfield offers Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) educational program to students under violation of the Code of Conduct. It is important that families review their child’s school drug-free policy.
Marshfield Area Coalition for Youth (MACY) is helping make Marshfield the best place to live and raise a family. MACY’s Drug Task Force is striving to reduce and prevention prescription drug abuse and heroin use. MACY is supported by Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach and more than 200 members representing over 35 organizations in Marshfield.
Ask Marshfield Police Department
Question: What is a School Resource Officer?
Answer: A School Resource Officer is a law enforcement officer who is specifically assigned to work in the various schools in Marshfield. There is a School Resource Officer assigned to the Marshfield High School and one assigned to the Marshfield Middle School, but they also spend time at each elementary school, as well as Columbus Catholic Schools. The main focus of School Resource Officers is to make sure students and staff members are safe within the schools. They investigate criminal matters that occur on school grounds or that involve students, give presentations to students on various topics, such as bullying and internet safety, and participate in other community oriented policing activities. You might see School Resource Officers working at the high school football games or other community events such as the MACY bonfire. Check out the Marshfield Police Department SRO Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MarshfieldPDSRO.
Schedule a MACY Drug Task Force presentation or submit “Ask Marshfield Police Department” questions to Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach at 715-221-8400 or email cco@marshfieldclinic.org.
