Bill Text: NJ S378 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires each board of education to employ a certain number of substance awareness coordinators.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Failed) 2010-05-13 - Withdrawn from Consideration [S378 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S378-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator ROBERT W. SINGER
District 30 (Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires each board of education to employ a certain number of substance awareness coordinators.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning substance awareness coordinators and supplementing chapter 40A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Each board of education shall employ at least one full-time, appropriately certified substance awareness coordinator for each child study team employed by the board. If a board of education does not employ a child study team, then the board shall either employ at least one full-time, appropriately certified substance awareness coordinator or participate in a consortium of school districts which designates a lead district to employ the substance awareness coordinator. In the case of a district that participates in a consortium, the substance awareness coordinator shall allocate no less than one day per week on site to each member district.
b. The position of substance awareness coordinator shall be separate and distinct from any other employment position in the district, including, but not limited to, guidance counselor, school social worker, school psychologist and school nurse. The substance awareness coordinator shall report directly to the chief school administrator or his designee.
c. It shall be the responsibility of the substance awareness coordinator to: assist the school district with the in-service training of school district staff concerning substance abuse issues and the district program to combat substance abuse pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1987, c.387 (C.18A:40A-15); serve as an information resource for substance abuse curriculum development and instruction; assist the district in revising and implementing substance abuse policies and procedures; develop and administer intervention services in the district; provide counseling services to pupils regarding substance abuse problems; and, where necessary and appropriate, cooperate with juvenile justice officials in the rendering of substance abuse treatment services.
d. Each district, in consultation with the substance awareness coordinator, shall establish a broad-based advisory committee which shall include a representative from each school within the district and a representative from both the public and private sector who is knowledgeable about substance abuse issues. The advisory committee shall meet at least on a quarterly basis.
The advisory committee shall: offer guidance to the district regarding the comprehensive substance abuse intervention, prevention and treatment referral program required to be established by the district pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1987, c.387 (C.18A:40A-10); monitor the district's implementation of the program; and provide such other assistance to the district as deemed appropriate pursuant to guidelines issued by the Commissioner of Education.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the 2002-2003 school year.
STATEMENT
This bill requires local boards of education to employ at least one full-time appropriately certified substance awareness coordinator for each child study team employed by the board. A district which does not employ a child study team must either employ a substance awareness coordinator by itself or participate in a consortium of districts which will designate a lead district to employ the substance awareness coordinator. In the case of a district that participates in a consortium, the substance awareness coordinator will allocate no less than one day per week on site to each member district.
Pursuant to the bill, the position of substance awareness coordinator must be separate and distinct from any other employment position in the district. It will be the responsibility of the substance awareness coordinators to: assist the local school district with in-service training; serve as an information resource for substance abuse curriculum development and instruction; assist the district in revising and implementing substance abuse policies and procedures; develop and administer intervention services in the district; provide counseling services to pupils regarding substance abuse problems; and, where necessary and appropriate, cooperate with juvenile justice officials in the rendering of substance abuse treatment services.
The bill requires each district, in consultation with the substance awareness coordinator, to establish a broad-based advisory committee which will include a representative from each school within the district and a representative from both the public and private sector who is knowledgeable about substance abuse issues. The advisory committee must meet at least on a quarterly basis. The advisory committee will: offer guidance to the district regarding the comprehensive substance abuse intervention, prevention and treatment referral program required to be established by the district pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1987, c.387 (C.18A:40A-10); monitor the district's implementation of the program; and provide such other assistance to the district as deemed appropriate pursuant to guidelines issued by the Commissioner of Education.
