County schools introduced to new anti-drug initiative

BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

CHRIS KELLY staff Terry, a presenter in the “Reach for Your Dreams” program, listens to others speak about the importance of the program at the Monmouth County Police Academy in Freehold Township on Friday. County officials unveiled a new reality-based anti-drug program targeting middle and high school students last week.

Monmouth County Sheriff Joseph W. Oxley and Monmouth County Superintendent of Schools Eugenia E. Lawson launched their Reach for Your Dreams anti-drug and anti-violence partnership during a conference of Monmouth County school administrators at the Monmouth County Police Academy in Freehold Township on Jan. 13.

Representatives from schools in Millstone Township, Freehold Township, Marlboro, Manalapan, Red Bank and many other school districts attended the conference.

“To have you all here is absolutely encouraging,” Lawson said. “Drug abuse is no longer just an urban problem. It’s everywhere. Whether you believe it or not, it’s in every one of our neighborhoods.”

“Reach for Your Dreams will help to ensure that Monmouth County remains a safe and secure place to live, work and raise a family,” Oxley said.

Currently, Oxley said, Monmouth County’s Adult Correctional Institution and Youth Detention Center have over 1,300 inhabitants. He said he hopes Reach for Your Dreams “slows down the flow of inmates” and “works to keep kids on the right track.”

During the conference, representatives from county schools learned that the Reach for Your Dreams program uses a cadre of Dream Team members, who are individuals who have faced adversity and overcome addictions, abuse or other problems.

The Dream Team members make interactive presentations to middle and high school students. Oxley said the Dream Team consists of volunteers who will relate their personal journeys through drug addiction, abuse and other adversities to students in a class setting. Their stories also describe the transition from the darkness of addiction and abuse to a successful and productive life.

Those who participate on the Dream Team have received intensive background checks and have been interviewed by a select panel composed of representatives of the Sheriff’s Office and County Superintendent of Schools Office, Oxley said. The panel selected four out of 12 candidates to participate, the sheriff said.

The members are Terry, 49, who was addicted to drugs for 27 years, but has been drug free for the past 12 years; Melissa, 24, who was addicted for 11 years and who has been drug free for the past three years; and Louis, 39, who started using drugs at age 7, was addicted to drugs and alcohol for 29 years but has been drug free for the past three years. Cathie, 52, is the fourth member of the team. She started using prescription drugs and abusing alcohol in high school. She became addicted but has been drug and alcohol free for the past 16 years.

All Dream Team members want to share their stories so others will not make the same mistakes, Oxley said.

The Reach for Your Dreams program was introduced during the 2004-2005 school year in Warren County, Ky., by Sheriff Jerry “Peanuts” Gaines, past president of the National Sheriffs’ Association, and coordinated by Capt. Joe Jakub, both of whom assisted in making possible the adaptation of this program to Monmouth County, Oxley said.

Monmouth County is the first county in the nation to replicate Reach for Your Dreams, according to Oxley.

When asked if he thought his district would implement Reach for Your Dreams, Millstone Township Superintendent of Schools William Setaro, who attended the launching of the program, said he would take the information presented back to the Millstone Township Board of Education.

Setaro said he thinks the program is important because “it gets students in touch with people who have walked the walk and talked the talk.”

Upper Freehold Regional Schools did not send a representative to the conference.

When asked to comment on the program, Upper Freehold Regional Superintendent Robert Smith said, “We were not able to send anyone to the session on Friday, so my understanding of the program is quite limited, but we are interested in doing what we can to reduce the possibilities of our students getting involved in drugs and violence.”

Smith said he would certainly entertain the notion of implementing the Reach for Your Dream program in his district’s schools.

Once a school district agrees to implement Reach for Your Dreams into its schools, the program takes place in two phases. During the first phase, Dream Team coordinators and instructors Chief Scott Climer and Officer Dolton Douglas, of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office Youth Detention Center, bring a Dream Team presenter to a class in the school requesting the program. The presenter shares personal experiences with the class and allows students to ask questions.

Douglas said the panel chose Dream Team members that “showed emotion while telling their heartfelt stories.”

“If they can get through to people like me, the warden and the chief, they can teach the children of Monmouth Count,.” Douglas said.

During the conference, Dream Team members Louis and Terry took the opportunity to speak and to share some of their life stories.

Louis, who did not have a father figure while growing up, said he was involved with gang activity, including drug dealing, stealing and drug abuse.

“There came a time when I went home during my regular routine of stealing from my family and I put the key in the door, but couldn’t get in,” Louis said. “I could see my whole family through the big window, but my mother said she wouldn’t let me in because I betrayed her trust so much.”

Louis said drugs took him to a place he never wanted to go.

“I got arrested, did some county time, and only after going through a county program did I get clean and learn how to live life on a daily basis,” Louis said. “I got my family back too, and that is beautiful.”

After the initial presentation by a Dream Team member, the second phase of the program takes place within seven-10 days. During the second phase, Climer or Douglas returns to the school and meets with the class that had the initial presentation. The instructor discusses the presentation with the class, ascertains its reaction to the message, reviews steps to avoid some of the problems encountered by the presenter, and asks the class and teacher to complete a brief evaluation sheet about the program.

Lawson said county officials conducted a pilot Reach for Your Dreams program for sixth-grade students at the Joseph R. Bolger Middle School in Keansburg in December, with a follow-up session this month.

Climer said when he went back to the middle school 10 days after the initial presentation, students recalled 95 percent of what the presenter discussed in their class.

“If the pilot program in Keansburg is indicative of this program, it will be very successful,” Climer said.

Climer said the presenters will help generate discussion among students that may help program instructors and/or teachers or administrators better identify at risk students.

“Maybe 24 out of 25 students won’t relate to the presentation immediately, but maybe one student will decide to talk about his or her situation at home because of the program,” Climer said.

Louis said, “It’s true, if I had a program like this when I was younger, I probably never would have picked up drugs.”

Because some students may request help or may recognize opportunities to seek counseling or social services as a result of the program, teachers may refer these students to school counselors or to the 2nd Floor Youth Helpline.

As an additional resource, program instructors will distribute information regarding The 2nd Floor Youth Helpline. The helpline is a confidential and anonymous helpline where children and teens can call about anything on their minds, according to Cindi Westendorf, the helpline’s program coordinator.

If for any reason an adolescent who calls the 2nd Floor feels that he or she cannot reach out to a family member, the 2nd Floor staff offers other resources inside and outside of that child’s school system.

For more information about the 2nd Floor Youth Helpline call 1-888-222-2228 or visit www.2ndfloor.org.

For more information about Reach for Your Dream call Undersheriff Ted Freeman at (732) 577-5748 or visit www.sheriffoxley.com.