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Summary In Dade County, Florida, TRUST was piloted in all middle schools and three high schools in 1987. Jointly funded by the school system and the federal Drug Free Schools program, it placed a "TRUST Specialist," possessing at least a master's degree, in each school. The initial pilot was deemed so successful that it has since been expanded to include all Dade County high schools and six elementary schools.
Protective Factors
Besides intervening with students at high risk, TRUST tries to teach all students refusal skills and to provide them with enough accurate information to make good decisions about substance use. Students are also helped to develop "protective factors," traits that can make them less vulnerable to addiction, such as greater self-acceptance, positive relationships, decision-making abilities, and participation in healthy alternatives to using drugs.
An Alternative to Suspension
Recognizing that addiction is a disease that can be effectively arrested through early identification, treatment, and aftercare, TRUST counselors also seek to intervene with students who are already demonstrating substance abuse problems. In the past, if students were caught using or possessing drugs on Dade County school grounds, they would be suspended for days -- as they would be in many school districts nationwide. But the founders of TRUST saw this as counterproductive, since it gives the student days off, often without supervision, in which he or she is likely to continue using. Parents of such students are now given the option to have them attend the Alternative Intervention Program instead. The student continues attending regular school classes, then attends evening and weekend sessions with the TRUST counselor -- including at least two family meetings. During the sessions, counselors follow a special curricula designed to help these students examine their behavior and improve their coping skills.
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