Substance use and substance use disorders continue to impact the health and safety of people across the United States. A population in which substance use and substance use disorders tend to be the highest being with college-age populations. In response to this growing public health concern, Recovery Support Services (RSS) are being implemented across colleges and universities nationwide. With each college or university being diverse based on its location, size, and demographics RSS resources do not look the same as they spread from campus to campus. This research project analyzed the current resources, how they are implemented, and how they correspond to the student population at a midsized public university located in Southern California. Utilizing a focus group and several structured interviews a survey design was assembled. The participants interviewed were asked a series of questions based on possible personal and departmental service viewpoints of pre-existing services as well as the quality of said services. Additionally, participants were asked about services not offered, as well as any issues that are not currently being addressed, and were asked to give feedback about each topic. Qualitative data were transcribed, analyzed, and coded using Microsoft Word as the coding software. Surveys were created and distributed via email, IBM SPSS was used for the statistical analysis, and results were compiled and recorded, with the study being reported to the campus Health Center for possible future program creation.

abstract: Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) are university-sanctioned initiatives for students in recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction. Given the ever-rising rates of alcohol and opioid use and misuse, a great need exists to understand how to provide support for those who are considering recovery or who choose a recovery lifestyle in college. The purpose of this action research study was to examine peer-to-peer support for students in recovery. The development of two training innovations, Recovery 101 and Recovery Ally, were delivered to health and wellness peer educators called the Well Devil Ambassadors (WDAs) with the goal of equipping them to better support their peers in recovery. Learning objectives for the training were to gain knowledge about addiction and recovery and to enhance positive attitudes toward students in recovery, which could thereby increase self-efficacy and behavior intention to work with their peers in recovery. Mindfulness was included in the trainings to enhance the WDAs’ experience and provide tools for a self-care skillset. Quantitative data included pre, post, and follow-up surveys for the Recovery 101 training. Qualitative data included short-answer questions following Recovery 101 training and in-depth interviews following Recovery Ally training. Findings indicated that the information provided in Recovery 101 built the WDAs’ knowledge on the topics of addiction and recovery; hearing multiple perspectives from students in recovery allowed the WDAs to increase empathy toward students in recovery; and the building of knowledge, empathy, and mindfulness allowed the WDAs to gain self-efficacy and behavior intention when supporting their peers in recovery. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2018

BACKGROUND: In the U.S., more than two-thirds of college and university students report gambling in the past year. Although most U.S. college students gamble without experiencing clinically significant symptoms, they do experience more problems compared to more mature adult populations. It is estimated that 16.3% of U.S. college students experience clinical or subclinical gambling disorder. Gambling disorder is a serious mental health problem on college campuses with the potential for negative academic, financial, and mental health outcomes. This study is only the second to assess college gambling policies in the U.S. and the first to assess college gambling policies at two time-points. METHODS: To gather gambling policies and supporting web-based materials, I completed extensive searches of websites for 117 U.S. colleges and universities. I assessed each school’s policies and supporting web-based materials using a modified version of Shaffer et al.’s (2005) gambling policy assessment. The policy-coding instrument includes questions about state-level gambling characteristics, school-level characteristics, school gambling policies, and implementation of the Task Force on College Gambling Policy’s 2009 recommendations. RESULTS: A previous assessment of gambling policies among this sample of U.S. colleges and universities found that only 25 had a gambling policy. By the beginning of the 2016-17 academic year, a review of each college and university’s policies revealed that 82 colleges and universities (70.1%) now have a gambling policy, representing a 228% increase. This follow-up assessment further explores college and university gambling policies by reviewing the location and scope of those policies, plus whether certain state or college/university characteristics are associated with having a gambling policy in 2017. CONTRIBUTION: In addition to the study findings, I provide college and university health practitioners with a guide to assess, select, and implement problem gambling policies and programs that are responsive to their campus needs based on SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework.

A Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC), also called a Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP) provides a college student in recovery (CSR) an opportunity to attend college with a network that supports their choice to remain free from addictive substances and other addictive behaviors. While research has established the value of CRPs on college campuses, less is known about the connection of a CRP and the role of family through the recovery process. This poster will review the primary components of a CRP and provide findings from a qualitative study seeking to understand how CRPs can involve family. The findings of the study also provide practical application for how CRCs can connect with the families of students in recovery to enhance the recovery process. The key takeaways of this poster include presenting information related to the CRC and evidence for how CRCs can support family members and college students in recovery.

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