AIMS

Alternative Intervention for Marijuana Suspension

Over the past decade, educators have noticed a growing trend of marijuana possession, paraphernalia and students under the influence of marijuana. In 2003, in an attempt to effectively deal with this growing problem of marijuana use, Constable Dean Childs recruited a group to combine school suspension policy with RCMP alternative measures. To develop this program, Cst. Childs worked with Dr. Marvin Krank, an Okanagan University College Professor who deals with youth modification behaviour, and with School District 23; Safe Schools Committee.

AIMS was designed to provide an alternative program for students caught for the first time with marijuana. The usual procedure was to suspend the student from school and notify the RCMP, which became far too demanding on RCMP resources and time. Limited by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the RCMP, parents and administrators were frustrated with the inability to intervene in any way that would facilitate offending students to seek positive changes in their behaviour. As a result AIMS was developed as an intervention that meets the needs of the students, School District #23, the Kelowna RCMP and the community at large.

With the implementation of AIMS, police do not attend to first time marijuana offences, yet retain the data and background on the offender. Students who participate in the AIMS program complete a questionnaire and a 60 minute motivational interviewing session with a qualified counselor. This will also enter them into the RCMP (PIRS) system as having participated in an alternative program. Following completion of the program, a three month review is conducted with the student, parents/guardians, school administrators and the RCMP liaison officer.

AIMS employs the following partners in the community: UBC-Okanagan Project of Adolescent Trajectories and Health (PATH), School Administrators, RCMP School Liaison Officers, Program Coordinator, a Counselor and a Workshop Facilitator.

For further information, please contact:

ARC PROGRAMS LTD
(250) 763-2978