Creating Intentional Collegiate Recovery Communities
Expanding Our Role in Substance Abuse Treatment
and Recovery Services
Jes Sellers, Ph.D.
Director, University Counseling Services & Center for Collegiate Behavioral Health
Joy G. Willmott, LISW, LICDC
Clinical Counselor for Substance Abuse Assessment, Intervention & Recovery Services
University Counseling Services & Center for Collegiate Behavioral Health
The Challenge for Higher Education
Compelling Stories
from college counseling center professionals & university administrators
Justin
A first year student from the east coast, Justin is the youngest of two children of a single parent home. His
mother frequently traveled as part of her career. He started drinking alcohol at the age of 12 (7 th grade) and
started marijuana at the age of 13 (8th grade). His use of both began to escalate from weekends to
weekends and some week days. By 10th grade he drank and got high on a regular basis. As a first year
student, Justin lives in the residence halls. He befriends the upperclass students and finds a way to regularly
get high or drunk. During the Fall semester, Justin is found intoxicated and passed-out in the dorm. He is
transported to University Hospital for alcohol poisoning and released. He attends most of his classes and
turns-in his homework assignments on time.
What would you do?
How should a university administrator respond?
What should a university counseling center professional do?
What should his mother do?
The Challenge for Higher Education
Compelling Stories continued
Amanda
A 24 year old, second year law student living alone in an apartment near campus is at risk for failing two courses.
She is not particularly close with her classmates but she does join the “Bar Review” party nights and drinks
heavily. She has gotten a reputation among her classmates as a “hard drinker” who becomes belligerent when
she drinks. She comes to the attention of the Dean of Students who has encouraged her to withdraw from the
before the end of the semester in order to protect her from being academically separated.
She comes to the counseling center, visibly shaking and in distress. She participates in a full assessment and
reluctantly agrees to go to an in-patient treatment (and medically-supervised detox) program.
She appeals to the Law School to return to classes in the subsequent semester. After treatment, she returns to
live in her apartment. She convinces the Dean that she is on the road to getting better and that she is ready to
return to a full-time classes.
What would you do as a law school dean?
What information would you need to consider her appeal?
What role should a university counseling center professional play in
this scenario?
Challenge for Higher Education
Compelling Stories continued
Chris
Chris is a 19 year old high school student from an alternative school in Minnesota called “Step-up High”. At
the age of 13, Chris took his ‘sip’ of beer and by the age of 15 he was drinking heavily, smoking pot and
taking pain killers. During this time he left high school and ran away from home, living on the streets of
Minneapolis. At the age of 17 he wanted to kill himself. After passing-out in a grocery store, Chris was taken
to a local hospital and was given the choice a treatment program for teenagers and chose recovery. After
one month of intensive treatment, he agreed to enter Step-Up High School. With the help of his program, a
high school counselor & his teachers, Chris began to develop hopes for going to college. He is applying to
your university yet is uncertain of the support system he feels he needs to maintain his sobriety and to do
well academically.
Should Chris disclose to admissions that he is in recovery?
What support services might Chris need from a university?
Can Chris be expected to ‘blend-in’ and be like any other student?
Where can he reside to help him reduce the risk of relapse?
The Challenge for Higher Education
• About 4 out of 5 college students drink alcohol & half who
consume alcohol, binge drink
• Each year, drinking affects college students, communities, and
families. The consequences of drinking include:
• Death: 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24
die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries
• Assault: More than 690,000 students between the ages of 18
and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking
• Sexual Abuse: More than 97,000 college students ages 18 - 24
are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.
•
Injury: 599,000 students receive unintentional injuries while
under the influence of alcohol.
The Challenge for Higher Education
NIAAA Studies continued
• Academic Problems: About 25 percent of college students
report academic consequences of their drinking including missing
class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers, and
receiving lower grades overall.
• Health Problems/Suicide Attempts: More than 150,000
students develop an alcohol-related health problem and between
1.2 and 1.5 percent of students indicate that they tried to commit
suicide within the past year due to drinking or drug use.
• Drunk Driving: 2.8 million students between the ages of 18 and
24 reported driving under the influence of alcohol.
• 6% of college students meet criteria for alcohol dependence
• 31% meet criteria for alcohol abuse
The Challenge for Higher Education
Public Health Studies (continued)
Marijuana:
• Nationally, 47% of college age people have used marijuana in
the past year
• 20% have used in the last month
• 4% use it on daily basis
• 1993 – 2001 prevalence of past 30-day marijuana use rose from
12.9% to 17%
• Marijuana is the second most frequent drug used by college
students. Approximately 46.9% of college students surveyed in
2006 reported using marijuana during their lifetime.
• Marijuana use was higher among those who binge drink, smoke
cigarettes and/or have multiple sexual partners. Marijuana use was
highest at colleges in the Northeast and lowest in Southern colleges. It was also highest at
colleges considered to be “very competitive,” and lowest at those considered “not competitive.”
The Challenge for Higher Education
Public Health Studies (continued)
Prescription Medication Misuse
• 7% - 16% of college students have used
prescription stimulants non-medically; 4% within
the past year (McCabe, UMSA Research Center
2005; Hall, Irwin Bowman et al 2005)
The Challenge for Higher Education
Secondary Effects of College Student Drug Abuse
• Academic performance
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Retention problems
Academic separation
Student conduct dismissals
Academic integrity violations
• Violence, injury & death
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Property
Theft
Personal assault
Sexual assault
Riots
Accidental injury
Accidental death
Suicide
The Challenge for Higher Education
Even prospective college students are at risk.
“Adolescent substance abuse is a major national public health
problem. The younger an individual is at the onset of substance
use, the greater the likelihood that a substance use disorder will
develop and continue into adulthood.” Physician Leadership on National
Drug Policy 2002
• 23% of eighth graders report being drunk at least
once
• 39% of tenth graders report current alcohol use
Recovery High Schools
Association of Recovery Schools
28 or more alternative High Schools
17 Universities/Colleges
http://www.recoveryschools.org
Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE)
Promotes Collegiate Recovery Programs from across the nation and is
committed to providing support for collegiate students in recovery from a
addictive disorders. http://collegiaterecovery.org/
Current Approaches to Chemical Dependent College Students
• Counseling: Professional
Individual and Group Counseling
Motivational Interviewing
Referrals to Community Services
Substance Abuse Assessments
Voluntary or Required
• Peer Helper Intervention & Heath Promotion Programs
• Student Conduct Approaches
Educational Approaches
Sanctions
Parental Notification
Fines
Suspension or Separation
• Community/Environmental
Health Promotion Programs
Substance-free Housing
Community Coalitions
Creating Intentional Recovery Communities
Advantages of a Recovery Community 0n Campus
• Promotes recovery from addiction
• Reduces risk of relapse 80%
*Statistics provided by Sobriety High, Step Up - Augsburg College and Texas Tech University
• Improved retention of students at risk
• Provides social and emotional support
Programs and Services
• Self-help meetings on campus
– AA, NA, Smart Recovery, Family Programs, etc.
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Individual & Group Counseling
Educational Support
Academic Courses
Advocacy with Administrators & Faculty
Recovery House at Case - Good Morning America
May 2005
• Housing for up to 6 students, male & female
• Applicants must be in recovery from substance abuse and must submit
documentation of substance abuse treatment
• Housing Contract & fees set by Housing & Residence Life
• Applications on line at www.case.edu Keywords: Recovery House or
http://students.case.edu/counseling/recovery/recoveryhouse/
• Residents must be enrolled students of Case, Cleveland Institute of
Music or Art, undergraduate or graduate/professional
• Residents complete a Recovery House Treatment Plan with a
substance abuse specialist at University Counseling Service
Recovery House Graduate Assistant
Graduate Student Coordinator
Live-in graduate student with interest in recovery
Supported by Housing & Residence Life
University Counseling Services
‘Boomer’ our Recovery House Dog
Recovery House residents can include the care of Boomer in their
treatment plan
Creating a Recovery House: how to get started
Build a University Coalition: sample from Case
Housing & Residence Life/Greek Life
Faculty from Social Work, Nursing, Psychology
Disability Services
Asst. VP Student Affairs
Office of Development & Alumni Affairs
Include Community Participants
Cleveland Psychoanalytic Center
Recovery-minded professionals in the
community
Form a Recovery House Advisory Board
Review applications
Support the Graduate Resident Advisor
Consider complaints & violations of rules
Respond to relapse
Search for Development/Grants/Alumni Contributions Opportunities
Prevention & Recovery Services of Case
Expanding the continuum of care on campus
Education, Intervention, Assessment, Recovery Treatment
Services & Recovery Housing
Educating the Campus Community
Learning from the Greater Cleveland Community
Celebrating Recovery on and off campus