EDUCATION PROGRAM

One of the social responsibilities PICC feels they can offer to the community is the message of how drugs effect an unborn child. Any additional information must surely help in better decision making for young adults.

Approximately, twice weekly during the school year, our Director of Public Relations, Pam Huffman goes into local schools (primarily junior and senior high schools) to give presentations to classrooms and groups about how drugs devastate newborns in utero. The students are shown a very informational video, produced specially for this purpose, that shows, among other things, babies suffering the effects of the withdrawal process. Prevention is discussed as is how drug-use affects entire families, not just the drug-user. Many times, classes will visit the Pediatric Interim Care Center to tour the facility and to witness first hand the care and therapeutic handling of a drug exposed newborn.

In addition, PICC also works with three students each semester who have chosen PICC as the subject of their Senior High School Project. Acting as their mentors, PICC staff works with these seniors, teaching them about drugs and the effect they have on unborn infants. While they maintain their scheduled volunteer time, they learn and experience the handling techniques used at the center.