How can school counsellors network with addiction working groups?

School counsellors (Beratungslehrkräfte) network with substance prevention by contacting regional addiction advice, naming contact persons and agreeing procedures for suspected cases in advance. Whether a local addiction working group (Arbeitskreis Sucht) exists can be answered by the addiction advice centre. This article describes the steps and the legal limits.

Why networking matters

A single case often needs more than one person. The school knows the class, addiction advice knows the substances and their effects, and school social work knows the families. Anyone who combines these perspectives has more options to help the child. In addition, fixed networking relieves the individual teacher, who would otherwise have to decide alone.

Networking takes time and a fixed place in the school year. Anyone who only looks for it in a crisis often does not know the other services and first has to introduce themselves when it matters.

Steps towards networking

1. Contact the regional addiction advice centre and arrange a first meeting.
2. Name contact persons at the school and document their responsibilities.
3. Agree procedures for suspected cases before they arise.
4. Keep in touch, for example through a fixed appointment in the school year.
5. Evaluate experiences and update the list of contact persons.

You can find out from the addiction advice centre on site where regional networks meet. Advice services can be found through the DHS Suchthilfeverzeichnis, filtered by postcode, town and radius.

The role of school social work

School social work can support pupils and involve parents. Tasks should be divided in advance, so that nobody duplicates work and no gaps arise. A joint overview helps to show who carries which responsibility at what time.

Especially in cases with a family connection, school social work is an important bridge to parents. The teacher passes on information, and social work leads the conversation with the family.

Observing legal limits

The Cannabis Act (KCanG) sets clear rules. Use of cannabis in the immediate presence of persons under 18 is prohibited (section 5(1) KCanG), as is public use in schools and within sight of them (section 5(2) KCanG). Selling and passing on cannabis is punishable under section 34 KCanG; passing it on to children or young people can count as a particularly serious case. These points should be known among the teaching staff.

Whether and how teachers react officially depends on the rules of the state and the school. For individual legal questions, a lawyer specialising in administrative law advises.

Prevention within the teaching staff

A teaching staff that knows the rules acts more calmly and more uniformly in crises. Training, information material and a shared approach help with this. This applies especially when several classes are affected or an incident becomes public.

Prevention lessons also benefit from networking. Anyone who coordinates materials with addiction advice avoids duplication and better reaches the world of young people.

Conducting conversations with pupils

The first conversation with a pupil often decides how cooperation continues. Choose a protected setting without classmates present. Describe concrete observations and ask for the pupil's view. Avoid judgements such as “You are a problem case.”

It is important not to make promises that the school cannot keep. Explain which steps may follow and who will be involved. A look at suitable advice centres helps to clarify expectations.

Documentation and data protection

Notes from conversations should be factual: date, occasion, steps discussed and agreed appointments. Judgements do not belong in them. The records must be handled confidentially and passed on only to authorised persons. Which bodies may receive information depends on the state's data protection rules; if in doubt, school management should be asked.

Clean documentation helps when several specialists are later involved. It prevents important agreements from getting lost.

Cooperation with families

1. Involve parents, where data protection and confidentiality allow it and it is justifiable in educational terms.
2. Plan conversation appointments together with school social work.
3. Pass on advice contacts, such as the Sucht & Drogen Hotline on 01806 313031.
4. Review the course after a few weeks.

Good cooperation with families takes time. It does, however, make it more likely that pupils accept help.

Where you can turn

The Sucht & Drogen Hotline can be reached on 01806 313031. It is aimed at people with addiction problems, at relatives, friends and colleagues. Further information is in the article on school-based prevention. For cooperation with youth welfare services, the article on cooperation between school and youth welfare helps. How an incident proceeds is shown in the article on the procedure after an incident.