Irvine : Schools to Accept Anti-Drug Grant

The school board tonight will officially accept a $100,000 state grant that Irvine Unified School District officials plan to use to provide drug-abuse and conflict-resolution counseling for high school students.

District officials said they hope to hire part-time drug prevention counselors for each of Irvine’s three high schools. The counselors will work with students who have drug and alcohol problems, and also help organize prevention programs for the student bodies, said Nancy Colocino, coordinator of guidance resources for the district.

The goal of the program is to provide “early intervention” for students with substance-abuse problems, Colocino said.

Colocino said the counselors will meet with students individually and in small groups to discuss coping and communication skills. The counselors will also provide students with information about local social service agencies.

The grant, which will be paid out over two years, was provided by the state Department of Criminal Justice Planning.

Some of the grant money will be used to provide conflict-resolution counseling. But Colocino said the district has yet to decide exactly how that program will work.