Addiction counselors added at HHS

The Havre Public Schools Board of Trustees voted, during Tuesday evening’s meeting at Havre Middle School, to bring licensed addiction counselors back to Havre High School.

Craig Mueller, Havre High School principal and HPS assistant superintendent, presented the motion to bring licensed addiction counselors back to Havre High School and Havre Alternative High School.

The program, as explained by the Bullhook Community Health Center, will address “intervention, prevention, treatment referral, and identifying any using and/or drinking, and being available for student and staff concerns.”

To deal with the concern of billing, the proposed counselors, Jeanette Blythe and Lydia Zilkoski, will not be at the school full time.

The program will work primarily by referrals. Students will be able to refer themselves, multiple absences may cause a student to be referred to a counsellor, discipline issues may be cause for referral and all school personnel can refer a student to an LAC.

“The schedule will allow for the most crucial days of the week, based on student behaviors and needs,” the agenda states.

At least one counselor will be at Havre High School Mondays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a one-hour break, Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Fridays they, or just one, will be at Havre Alternative High School from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The plan is to have 15- to 30-minute individual sessions and, as soon as there are enough students, outpatient group sessions.

The availability of the counselors will be re-evaluated as the caseload and need become greater. The plan, should the school board approve, could be extended to the Havre Middle School and the elementary schools over the spring of 2016.

The program will be implemented Monday.