Teacher Arrested for Possession of Heroin in Silver Spring Heads to Substance Abuse Program

Rebecca Amick, the , agreed to enter Montgomery County's Intervention Program for Substance Abusers (IPSA) on Thursday morning.

Amick, 25, who had been , appeared in court on Thursday morning with her private attorney. The judge ordered a stet on the case, which renders the file inactive until another hearing is scheduled in six months. 

If Amick completes the County's IPSA program, the judge will likely end the prosecution and dismiss the charges, said Amick's attorney, Barry Helfand.

According to its website, IPSA is a designed to provide an alternative to prosecution for first-time offenders who are charged with minor crimes involving drugs. Participants in the program must complete 24 hours of community service, remain drug-free during the program, meet with a caseworker and pay a program fee.

In addition, Amick has been undergoing substance abuse treatment at the private Kolmac Clinic, Helfand said.

At 7:45 p.m. on Dec. 30, the Montgomery County Police Community Action Team pulled over Amick, along with Faisal Abdullah of Potomac and another male driver, for driving over the speed limit. Upon searching the vehicle, police found Amick had nine bags of heroin, each containing one-tenth a gram.

Since the arrest, Amick has been on administrative leave from Woodlin Elementary School where she had been teaching. A representative from the The Montgomery County Public Schools Office of Human Resources said they plan to meet with Amick to review her charges on Friday.

"To the best of my knowledge she has an exemplerary record and is well thought of at her school," said Helfand.