Alcohol & Other Drugs

COS provides student and employee handbook review, editing, updating, and writing services. We offer updates for specific policies, procedures, release forms, permission forms, and other legal documents. Our Handbook and Policies Consulting Team consists of experienced attorneys, policy experts, psychologists, character education specialists, and highly skilled writers. We craft comprehensive, up-to-date policies that are legally sound and unique to your school’s mission.

How can we help?

Case Study #1

A PK-12 school wanted to address incidents ranging from kissing kindergartners and 2nd graders who would run up and sit in the lap of their teachers to sexting happening off campus between 9th graders.

COS Solution:

We set up a leadership committee to include 8 school administrators and held a conference call to understand the issues and concerns. We reviewed the current policies in the Family and Employee Handbooks.

We sent a list of questions to the committee to garner their feedback on the type of policies that would best match their school’s mission and values. We sent four sample policies for their review.

We had another call to review the committee’s answers and thoughts about the models.

We crafted a first draft and sought feedback from the committee and the school’s legal advisor.

We had a finished product within two weeks.

Case Study #2

A school needed to update their study abroad permission forms to better protect them from liability of all types.

COS Solution:

We scheduled a conference call with the program directors and reviewed all the written documents currently use by the study abroad agency and the school.

We provided edits to their current forms. We also made recommendations for communications with the provider of the study abroad program that would better protect the school, its students, and it faculty.

Katie Koestner is one of those rare presenters that changes the way adolescents think about personal relationships. With passion and sincerity, Koestner puts forth a powerful message in a carefully conceived presentation that is honest, thought-provoking and humorous all at once. Bravely juggling remarkably personal information, facts and anecdotes, Koestner explores the topic of sexual assault in a manner that is relevant to both male and female students. You will be hard-pressed to find a better high school presentation that simultaneously engages and challenges students on a topic (sexual assault) that is often deemed too sensitive or complicated to discuss but Katie Koestner has the intelligence and courage to pull it off.

Jason B. Ness, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

HANDBOOKS

Family, Student, and Employee Handbook Completion and Review:

  1. Less Guidance from COS
    • We provide models for up to 2 major policies. You read and implement on your own.
    • Flat fee includes copyright privilege and models. Starts at $2500.
  2. Partnered Guidance from COS
    • We provide 2 models and work with you for a series of four 60-minute working webinars to craft the entire document.
    • Flat fee includes copyright privilege and models. Starts at $5000.

POLICIES

Selected Policies:

  1. Bullying (including cyberbullying)
  2. Dress Code
  3. Technology (Acceptable Use)
  4. Sexting and Sexual Intimacy
  5. Hazing
  6. Student Health Information
  7. Pregnancy (including teen pregnancy)
  8. Mental Health, Suicide Risk and Suicide Attempts
  9. Substance Use (including confiscation and disposal)
  10. Substance Use Testing (including for employees and minors
  11. Social Media and Fraternization with Minors by Employees
  12. Use of Covert Cameras and Recording Devices

FORMS

Selected Model Release Forms:

  1. Privacy and Confidentiality Statement for E‐mail Transmissions
  2. Model Release for Video Taping and Use by School
  3. Model Release for Photo/Image Acquisition and Use by School
  4. Model Release for Artistic Works Use (by your faculty, students, school website)
  5. Model Release for Drug Testing (Students)
  6. Model Release for Drug Testing (Employees)
  7. Model Incident Report Form for Sensitive Crimes with Overlapping Jurisdiction
  8. Model Incident Report Form for Incidents of Sexual Misconduct and Sensitive Policy Violations
  9. Model Incident Report Form for Technology Related Misconduct
  10. Waiver Release for Parents about Personal Technological Devices Brought to School
  11. Waiver Release for Parents for their Children to Utilize the Internet for School Projects and Homework Assignments
  12. Parent/Guardian Permission/Release Form for “Guardian/Relative” Visits in Boarding Environments
  13. Trip Permission/Release Form
  14. High Risk Activity Permission/Release Form

PROCEDURES

Selected Model Response Protocols:

  1. Checklist for Crisis Response to Sensitive Crimes and Policy Violations for All Staff and Employees
  2. Overnight Travel Checklist for Supervisors
  3. Crisis Response Checklist
  4. Model Sexual Misconduct and Sensitive Crimes Response Manual

Could you use our help? Try these questions.

  1. What policy covers a parent who post negative comments about your school online?
  2. What policies govern the use of social media by school community members for advertising, social activities, school sponsored activities, development, fundraising, etc.?
  3. What is the procedure for terminating access to email, apps, and other digital resources for an employee who has been suddenly separated from your institution?
  4. What entity owns intellectual property created by your employees and/or students using school resources?