DITEP

 Drug Impairment Training for Educational Professionals (DITEP) Course

​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.

Course Description:


Day One (or 8 hour only course) covers the following:

  • Drugs in Society
  • Policy, Procedures and Roles
  • Overview of Alcohol
  • Drug Identification, Categories and Their Effects
  • Contacting the Parents

Day one is geared toward administrators, teachers, nurses, counselors, school resource officers, security officers, and other staff who regularly interact with students.

Day Two (optional) covers the following:

  • Eye Examinations Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus
  • Lack of Convergence
  • Estimation of Pupil Size
  • Vital Signs
  • Divided Attention Testing Romberg Balance
  • Walk and Turn
  • One Leg Stand
  • Finger to Nose
  • Poly Drug Use
  • Assessment Procedures


Day two is geared toward nurses and other personnel who will have a more "hands-on" approach to evaluating a student's impairment. Principals and administrators are encouraged to attend to familiarize themselves with assessment procedures.

Pre-requisites:

In order to qualify for this course, prospective students must be currently employed at a school in a capacity that involves regular interaction with students.

Registration:

Upcoming classes may be found in the Schedule of Classes page under DITEP.  In order to register for this course, students are required to electronically submit their full name, e-mail address, and school name to the course coordinator.

Fees & Costs:

There is no registration fee to attend this course. If a facility use fee is charged by the hosting agency, it will be noted in the expanded course description. This course is funded through the California Office of Traffic Safety DRE Grant. Travel reimbursement is not available for this course.

Hosting:

If your school district is interested in hosting this course at your training facility, please contact the DITEP State Coordinator, Officer Bryce Morgan, at (916) 843-4360 or Bryce.Morgan@chp.ca.gov.

 Upcoming DITEP Classes

 

 

 

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