Lorain County Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services (LCADA): 2016-17

Information from our LCADA Education Specialist Assigned to Brookside:

Monique Guerrero is a Prevention Specialist who specializes in providing information and education to youth and communities. She has completed an Associates of Arts Degree and Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant Certificate program at Lorain County Community College as well as a Bachelor’s Degree at Cleveland State University in Psychology as a member of the National Psychology Honors Society.   

The education she provides can range from communication styles and time management to resolving conflicts and substance abuse signs and symptoms. She has worked with kids from 1^st grade to 12^th grade individually, in small groups, and classrooms. She sees her role as being another positive role model to youth in communities across Lorain County as well as being a source of information for youth and community members alike. As a parent herself, she wants to focus on the needs of the community and is excited to work with Brookside High School and Middle School, as they continue to create environments that foster education, understanding, and growth.

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LCADA offers alcohol & drug abuse education/prevention at Brookside High School and Brookside Middle School through two methods of service:

a. Health classes receive an education program called “Life Skills.” This program is designed to provide factual information regarding involvement in alcohol & other drugs. The program occurs once a week during regular health class time. Information/education, research supported statistics, and activities are used to help educate students on risky choices surrounding alcohol & other drugs.

b. A “Prevention/Education Specialist” is at Brookside High School/Middle School every Wednesday during the school year from 9:30AM-2:00PM. This LCADA specialist works one-on-one with students who may need education or be at-risk for dealing with drug-related issues/situations. The specialist is also able to work with parents who believe that their child may be involved or subject to risky behavior at home or at a friend’s house. This partnership is not clinical in nature, and therefore is not ‘therapy.’ The purpose of this program is to help students head-off any problems they may encounter involving drugs, alcohol, or risky behavior. This program is truly about prevention and education.

For more information on how to connect with the drug prevention specialist, please contact our school social worker, Mr. Smith, or contact your child’s guidance counselor or principal.

Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools
School Social Worker
The role of the school social worker is to assist families in having their son/daughter be the best possible student and have the most academic success. Situations such as academic struggles, emotional concerns, or behavioral issues can cause undue stress on students and their families. Social workers work with families to resolve social, emotional, and behavioral problems. We do this through assessment, consultation with school staff and community providers, through development and implementation of behavior management plans, and providing indirect and direct services.

School social workers help to bridge school, home, and community to help students be as successful as possible.

The school social worker is a team player with the family to be a resource for families who have questions, concerns, or want more information on programs and organizations that can help their child be a stronger student.

School social workers also have a network of counseling, parenting, and home resources that can help families positively strengthen the relationship they have with their children.

For more information, please contact our district school social worker:

Andrew Smith, LISW-S
Phone:  440-949-4213
Email:  asmith@sheffieldschools.org

Talk with your teen: It is important to establish and maintain healthy and frequent communication with your child. Work towards breaking down communication barriers, and set up a routine of “mindful talk” to gain more insight into your teen’s life. Talking with your teen is crucial in determining any pre-existing symptoms that may lead to substance abuse, such as depression or anxiety. Talk with your teen about alcohol and drug use specifically, as well as any genetic vulnerabilities he or she may have to addiction due to family history of use.

Get Involved: Young people are much less likely to have mental health and substance use problems when they have positive activities to do and when caring adults are involved in their lives. Explore hobbies and strengths of your teen to increase resiliency, establish coping skills, and to help your child gain outside support systems.

Set Rules: Make clear rules and enforce them with consistency and appropriate disciplinary action. Rules and consequences should be transparent and consistent; this will help reinforce your child’s thought formation around actions and predicting outcomes.
Be a Role Model: Because children like to imitate adults, you can influence your teen greatly by leading. Your actions are more influential than words, so forget the old adage “do what I say, not what I do.”