Dear Parent or Guardian,
As your teen’s caregiver, we know that you desire the best resources for them and the young people in our community. BVT’s Metro West Adolescent Health Survey data consistently demonstrate that a small number of our students try alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs in middle school, and by the end of high school, many more students report substance use. 

To help prevent students from starting to use substances, or intervene with early use, our nursing staff and nurse practitioner will be providing an interview‐based screening, called SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment), for our sophomores about the use of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs. This screening utilizes the most commonly used substance-use screening tool, CRAFFT, for adolescents in Massachusetts.
 

The one‐on‐one screening sessions will be brief (5- to 10-minutes) and conducted confidentially in private, along with other routine screenings conducted by the school nurse on campus. Students who are not using substances will have their healthy choices reinforced by the screener. The screener will provide brief feedback to any student who reports using substances or is at risk for future substance use. If needed, we will refer the student to follow up with our nurse and/or adjustment counselor for further evaluation, and we will contact their parents.
 
Results of the screening will not be included in your teen’s school record. As with any school screening, you have the right to opt your teen out of this screening by filling out our Substance Use Screening Opt-Out Form by Friday, October 24th. Additionally, screening is voluntary and students may choose not to answer any or all of the screening questions. The screening is scheduled for the week of Monday, October 27th to Thursday, October 30th. 

 

One way to prevent youth substance use is to talk with your teen about substance use. For information on how to talk with your adolescents, go to: www.teen-safe.org or www.theantidrug.com.

 

Sincerely,

Stephanie Dunham, RN
Deanna Pavone, RN
Jenna Callahan, FNP