When the Goal Is Not Solving the Problem: Managing the Problems That Cannot Be Fixed

Educators often enter the profession believing that with the right strategy, support, and persistence, most student problems can be solved. In many cases this belief proves true. With structure, patience, and consistency, students can grow, develop new skills, and overcome significant obstacles. However, educators who work in therapeutic or special education settings eventually encounter situations where a problem cannot immediately be solved. In these moments, the goal shifts from solving the problem to mitigating the damage. This shift can be uncomfortable for educators, but it is sometimes the most responsible and humane approach when working with students experiencing severe emotional, behavioral, or substance-related crises.

I work in a therapeutic school that serves students with special needs from ages four to twenty-one. Some students attend for many years, and staff watch them grow up in the program. One student, whom I will refer to as Alfred, has attended our school since he was about seven years old. Now seventeen, he has reached a difficult point in his life where several problems have converged. During the previous school year he began experiencing serious behavioral challenges, and this year the situation escalated further. He became involved with law enforcement after committing several theft-related crimes. Fortunately, the court took his disability status into consideration, and he was not given a criminal record. While that outcome prevented additional legal consequences, it did not resolve the underlying issues affecting his life.

Alfred has begun using drugs heavily. Marijuana appears to be his primary drug of choice, but he has acknowledged that he has been mixing it with other substances. His attendance has become extremely irregular. Some days he arrives hours late, long after the school day begins. Other days he arrives just before dismissal. There are nights when he does not sleep at home at all. When he does come to school, he often appears visibly high on drugs. His thinking is slowed, his focus is poor, and his ability to regulate himself is compromised. Because of safety concerns, he must now be escorted by staff members when traveling around the school building. At this point he cannot be trusted to move independently throughout the school day.

Everyone working with him recognizes a difficult reality. This situation cannot be quickly fixed through traditional school interventions. Attendance incentives do not appear to influence his behavior. Behavior charts and school consequences have little impact on his decisions. Academic expectations do not hold the same importance for him that they once did. When a student reaches this stage, educators sometimes have to shift their mindset away from solving the problem and toward reducing the potential harm that may result from the student’s choices.

During a recent conversation with Alfred, I asked him directly whether he had been using drugs. At first he denied it, but eventually he acknowledged that he had been using marijuana and mixing it with other substances. Our school is also a treatment facility where students receive prescribed medication during the day. I explained to him that mixing drugs with medication can be extremely dangerous and unpredictable. I told him that the combination of substances could lead to serious medical consequences because he would have no way of knowing how the drugs would interact with each other inside his body.

Then I said something that might surprise some educators. I told him that if he was going to continue using marijuana, he should not mix it with other drugs. Ideally, of course, the goal would be for him to stop using drugs entirely. However, when a student is deeply involved in substance use, demanding perfect choices can sometimes eliminate the opportunity for any influence at all. In that moment, the immediate concern was reducing the risk that he might experience a medical emergency or overdose. Sometimes the most responsible approach is to focus on harm reduction rather than absolute compliance.

The school has taken several steps to manage the situation while continuing to support Alfred as best as possible. Staff maintain a non-judgmental relationship with him so that he remains willing to communicate honestly with adults in the building. Students who are struggling with drugs or criminal behavior often expect adults to lecture or condemn them. When educators remain calm and matter-of-fact, it helps preserve the relationship and keeps lines of communication open. In many cases, that relationship may be one of the few stable connections left in the student’s life.

The school has also increased supervision and structure around Alfred’s day. He is escorted by staff members when moving throughout the building so that he cannot leave areas unsupervised or place himself in situations that could lead to additional problems. While this level of supervision is restrictive, it helps ensure his safety and the safety of others. Staff also communicate with his parent immediately if he leaves the building or behaves in a way that raises concern. Even when families feel overwhelmed or unsure of how to intervene, consistent communication helps maintain awareness of what is happening in the student’s life.

At the same time, the school continues exploring the possibility of alternative educational placements that may better meet Alfred’s needs at this stage. Some specialized programs and transfer schools are designed specifically for students who are under-credited or experiencing significant behavioral or life challenges. Finding the right placement can take time, but it remains an important part of the long-term strategy.

Working with students in situations like this can be emotionally exhausting for educators. Teachers and administrators naturally want to solve problems, see progress, and help students move in a positive direction. However, there are moments when the most important work educators can do is simply preventing the situation from becoming worse. Providing supervision, maintaining communication, reducing risk, and treating the student with dignity may not feel dramatic or transformative, but these actions can play a critical role in helping a young person survive a chaotic period in life.

Education is often measured through grades, attendance, and academic growth. In therapeutic environments, success sometimes has a different meaning. Sometimes success means the student came to school that day. Sometimes it means the student spoke honestly with an adult. Sometimes it simply means the student left the building safely at the end of the day. These moments may not appear in data charts or progress reports, but they can represent meaningful steps forward for a student navigating an extremely difficult chapter of life. And sometimes surviving that chapter is the first step toward recovery. Bibliography Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). Trauma-informed care in behavioral health services (Treatment Improvement Protocol Series 57).

SAMHSA.

https://library.samhsa.gov/product/tip-57-trauma-informed-care-behavioral-health-services/sma14-4816

Teacher Worksheet_ Managing Student Crises When the Problem Cannot Be Solved.pdf

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