Background:
The Drug Impairment Training for Educational
Professionals (DITEP) program was developed by the International Association of
Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
(NHTSA) as a result of the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).
The survey was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA), and indicated that an estimated 19.5 million Americans
(8.2% of the population aged 12 or older) had used an illicit drug during the
previous month. Drug abuse, whether it involves controlled substances or the
misuse of prescription drugs, has permeated almost every level of society to
some degree.
This training is intended to provide school administrators and nurses with a systematic approach to recognizing and evaluating individuals in the academic environment who are abusing and/or impaired by drugs, both legal and illegal, in order to provide early recognition and intervention. DITEP is derived from the national Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program, a successful law enforcement program used to detect drug and alcohol impaired drivers. The methods employed in this training are based on medical and scientific facts. The information is supported by research conducted in both laboratory and field studies. The DEC Program was validated in the laboratory by studies conducted at the Johns Hopkins University, and in the field by the Southern California Research Institute.
The training will enable attendees to determine first whether or not the individual is impaired. If it is determined that there is impairment, they will be able to determine whether the impairment is due to a medical problem or is drug related. And finally, if the impairment is drug related, attendees will be able to determine, through proven diagnostic procedures, what category or categories of drugs are likely causing the observed impairment.
DITEP training enables schools to employ an aggressive evaluation and detection program that will reduce drug usage, disruptions by drug-impaired individuals, and impaired driving in and around schools. This will make our communities and schools safer places for all. There are two options for DITEP training, either an 8 or a 16 hour course. Both are broken down below.
