In 1988, Congress enacted the Drug-Free Workplace Act. This statute requires that all institutions of higher education receiving any funds from any federal agency certify to that agency that they will maintain a drug-free workplace by taking certain required action. The policy and procedure for CCC&TI, approved by its board of trustees on Aug. 16, 1990, is as follows: Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute is committed to maintaining an environment that supports and encourages the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. All members of the college community - students, faculty and staff - share in the responsibility of protecting that environment, and all are expected to exemplify high standards of professional and personal conduct. The illegal or abusive use of alcohol/drugs by members of the college community adversely affects this educational environment. Federal and North Carolina laws prohibit the illegal or abusive use of alcohol/drugs. The illegal or abusive use of alcohol/drugs is not compatible with personal welfare and pursuit of academic excellence and will not be tolerated by CCC&TI at any of its locations. Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute will take formal disciplinary and legal procedures to control the illegal or abusive use of alcohol/drugs. No public consumption of drugs or alcohol will be permitted on campus. Violations will result in prompt disciplinary action, which may result in suspension or dismissal from school.
CCC&TI provides numerous resources to assist students, faculty, and staff members who wish to address a problem with substances:
Helping Students in Distress Handbook: This handbook is provided to all faculty and staff of CCC&TI. The Handbook contains general guidelines for responding to students in distress, information about the college’s Counseling Referral Program, and procedures for making effective referrals to counseling services. Additionally, the handbook contains a listing of general Hot lines and Web Resources for both national and local areas.
Student Workshops: The college provides wellness workshops to students with a wide range of non-credit informal educational opportunities on a monthly basis, on topics ranging from time management, learning styles, mental health, and substance issues.
12-Step Support: CCC&TI encourages the use of 12-step programs when appropriate, and provides contact information for these resources through Counseling & Disability Services.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): CCC&TI recognizes that employees experiencing personal or family problems, which interfere with their job performance, have a right and a responsibility to seek professional assistance for these problems. As a result of this concern for staff and faculty, the College has established an Employee Assistance Program to provide screening and referral services to employees and their families. This service is confidential, professional and at no cost to the employee for the first five visits per fiscal year. Additional visits may be covered under the employee's medical insurance. Counseling and psychological services include, but are not limited to: individual, marital and family counseling; financial or legal problems; sleep difficulties; psycho-educational assessments; emotional troubles; drug and/or alcohol abuse.
Counseling Referral Program (CRP): All CCC&TI counselors hold a minimum of a master’s degree from an accredited educational institution in counseling or a mental health discipline. All of our counselors have been trained in general counseling theory and techniques and can professionally initiate counseling services with distressed and/or mentally ill students. However, as the primary mission of the institution is educational first and foremost, the scope of practice of our counselors is limited to brief intervention where a student is experiencing emotional or personal difficulties that are seriously impeding their ability to function in the classroom. In the event that a student has needs that are assessed to be outside the scope of practice of our counselors for any reason, including but not limited to, intensity, severity, or duration of the illness, that student will be referred to an external service provider through our Counseling Referral Program (CRP). While any counselor within the Department of Counseling and Disability Services can initiate an external referral, the CRP program is coordinated and managed by the department director.
The CRP offers students up to three free visits with an approved private provider, either by paying for the co-pay if the student has insurance, or by paying for the full cost of services for three visits if the student does not have insurance. Additionally, CCC&TI counselors have the option of referring students to our Local Management Entity (LME) for community mental health services offered on a sliding scale fee basis. The LME for both Caldwell and Watauga counties is Vaya Health, and can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at their toll free Access to Care line at 1-800-849-6127.
| Drug | Effects and Health Risks | Penalties Related to Possession, Sale, or Use: NC Law |
|---|---|---|
| LSD | Mainly psychological, hallucinations or perception distortions; unable to function normally, accidents common; can produce anxiety, elevation in temperature, heart rate, and respiration | POSS.-MAX: 1 year imprisonment and fine (for any amount)
SALE-MAX: 2 years imprisonment and fine (for any amount); 18 1/4 years imprisonment and fine of $200,000 for trafficking. |
| HEROIN | Physical/psychological dependence; relaxer and pain reliever, causing sluggishness and sleep at inappropriate or dangerous times; AIDS a possibility with intravenous injection; addiction can be passed to child born to user; over-dose can result in death | POSS.-MAX: 1 year imprisonment and fine (for any amount)
SALE-MAX: 2 years imprisonment and fine (for any amount) and 23 1/4 years imprisonment and a fine of $500,000 for trafficking. |
| OPIUM | Less potent than heroin; physical or psychological dependence; sluggishness and sleep at inappropriate or dangerous times; AIDS a possibility with intravenous injection; addiction can be passed to unborn child; death possible from overdose | POSS.-MAX: 1 year imprisonment and fine (100+ dosage units); for lesser amounts, 2 years
imprisonment and $2,000. SALE-MAX: 2 years imprisonment and fine (for any amount); 23 1/4 years imprisonment and fine of $500,000 for trafficking. |
| COCAINE | Powder or crystals; affects respiration, heart rate, blood pressure, sugar levels; leads to tumors, chronic fatigue, dangerous weight loss, sexual impotence, insomnia; habitual use, irritability, paranoia, hallucinations; seizures, heart fibrillation, stroke. Death may follow. | POSS.-MAX: 1 year imprisonment and fine (100+ dosage units); for lesser amounts, 2 years
imprisonment and $2,000 fine. SALE-MAX: 2 years imprisonment and fine (for any amount); 18 1/4 years imprisonment and fine of $250,000 for trafficking. |
| PSILOCYBIN | Mainly psychological; hallucinations or perception distortions, loss of normal function, accidents common; can produce anxiety, elevation in temperature, heart rate, and respiration. | POSS.-MAX: 1 year imprisonment and fine (for any amount) SALE-MAX: 2 years imprisonment and fine (for any amount) |
| BARBITURATES (e.g., valium and seconal) | Psychological/physical dependence; difficult breathing, lethargy, allergic reactions, nausea, dizziness; infant deformities; in high doses, death | POSS.-MAX: 1 year imprisonment and fine (100+ dosage units); for lesser amounts,
2 years, $2,000 fine. SALE-MAX: 2 year imprisonment and fine (for any amount) |
| MARIJUANA | Effects range from motor impairment to throat and lung cancer (2 1/2 times tobacco tar). Particularly threatening for students is the way it damages short-term memory and decreases concentration and learning abilities. | POSS.-MAX: 1 year imprisonment and fine (more than 1 1/2 oz.); 120 days imprisonment and fine
(up to 1 1/2 oz.) SALE-MAX: 1 year imprisonment and fine (for any amount); 18 1/4 years imprisonment and fine up to $200,000 for trafficking |
| ALCOHOL | Slows heart, nervous system, and brain. Can stop breathing. Prolonged use can cause artery disease and heart failure; and cancer, cirrhosis, and hepatitis can destroy the liver. | POSS.-MAX: 2 years imprisonment and fine. SALE-MAX: 2 years imprisonment and fine. |