University committed to addiction recovery

By Amanda Reavy

Although September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, counselors at the University are committed to treating student addictions all year long.

The Alcohol and Other Drug Office (AODO) is the University’s primary resource for students suffering from alcohol and other drug-related problems, offering free, confidential and comprehensive treatment options on campus for students, said Ilene Harned, AODO coordinator.

“We have an extremely extensive program,” Harned said. “There are addiction treatments on other campuses, but I haven’t found any with the depth of services we provide.”

The University’s AODO offers a combination of assessment, counseling, education, outreach, referral and linkage services with community resources.

“Substance abuse and its coexisting mental and physical disorders are a major public health threat and affect many Americans and as many as one million Illinoisans,” said Tom Green, a spokesman from the Illinois Department of Human Services. “The theme of this year’s recovery month is ‘Join the Voices of Recovery’ with the goal to reduce or eliminate the stigma associated with substance abuse problems and improve access to treatment so people can get into recovery and return to productive lives.”

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University officials and the AODO join this proactive approach by making alcohol and drug issues a priority on this campus, Harned said.

“I think it’s always important for people to be knowledgeable about treatment options,” she said. “It is an ongoing challenge with the number of new students (the University) gets each year to make them aware of what’s available and what we can provide.”

She said it is important for people to abandon the negative stigma attached to alcohol and other drug-related problems because addiction is treatable, she said. However, a large percentage of students at the AODO are not at the point of alcoholism or addiction.

“Our goal is to help intervene before they get to that point,” Harden said.

The AODO has partnered with University police to provide a mandatory assessment program that is based on a health and safety policy created in 1999. The policy states that if a student is transported to a hospital for drug or alcohol incapacitation or deemed appropriate for transportation, they are required to complete two assessment sessions, said Amy Carmen-Peck, alcohol and other drug specialist at the Counseling Center and clinical director of the AODO.

The student meets with a counselor for two one-hour sessions, after which the counselor gives the student a recommendation about what actions they should take next regarding their drug or alcohol use. For instance, a student could be told to go to a workshop, group therapy or individual counseling.

“They don’t have to take our recommendations, but the assessment part is not voluntary,” she said.

The AODO also offers voluntary assessments, which include students who are referred to the program through University discipline.

It only takes one drug or alcohol violation for a student to be referred to the AODO, said Richard Justice, director of the Office for Student Conflict Resolution.

“We either recommend them to a specific program (at the AODO) or for assessment,” he said. “When alcohol or drugs are an issue, we hope people learn sooner than later if they are having problems.”

Although there are consequences if a student refuses assessment, disciplinary cases are not considered to require a mandatory assessment.

As of Sept. 17, the AODO had treated 111 students total since July 1, with 26 transports and 85 voluntary or other referrals. Last school year, the AODO treated 436 students, with 109 transports and 327 voluntary or other referrals, Harned said.

“We are always concerned with the number of transports because we don’t like (students) putting themselves in those scenarios,” Harned said.

A majority of the AODO’s referrals are behavior-related and referred by the University or Champaign police, she said.

“Our students fall in a continuum,” she said. “Some have very little or no experience with drinking before they come and others have well-established drinking habits. We see students at all levels.”

Treatment length varies on an individual basis, and the AODO allows for students to repeat services as many times as needed.

“Drug and alcohol treatment is a process, and assessment is normally marked by several attempts at treatment,” she said. “Repeats are expected.”

The AODO also offers two discovery groups, which are part of the Counseling Center’s group therapy sessions. Carmen-Peck is co-facilitator of this group. It is a long-term therapy option for students with alcohol and drug issues who are interested in changing their relationship with drugs and alcohol, she said. It is a non-abstinence group, meaning members do not have to be committed to no longer using alcohol and/or drugs.

“It provides a confidential environment that is clean, sober and safe,” Carmen-Peck said. “It aims to give students new coping skills other than alcohol and other drug use.”

The AODO also has three educational workshops: Challenging Alcohol Attitudes Positively (CAAP), Marijuana Information Class (MIC) and Self Assessment Workshop (SAW), Harned said. Students may call the office to register or receive referral to participate.

Harned said her office also accommodates students who need services beyond the scope of the AODO. She works closely with recovery services in the community, including two local treatment centers and local practitioners. The AODO can also connect students with treatment services in their hometown, Harned said.

“Some students need a more highly structured approach to care,” she said.

The AODO’s programs are also designed specifically for college students, giving them the opportunity to relate to other individuals going through similar experiences, Harned said.

“The high number of students we’re seeing and the high number of referrals indicate a high level of satisfaction in terms of what students are getting out of the programs and how we’ve helped students,” Carmen-Peck said.

More information on AODO can be found online at http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/wellness/aodo//aodomain.htm.