Help Is Out There For Every Owl

By:

fau.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/collegiaterecoverycommunity | @fau.crc

Addiction doesn’t discriminate. It can affect anyone at any time. However, there are times throughout life when people might be more vulnerable to the temptation of drugs and alcohol.

The American college experience can mythologize alcohol and other drugs and students might see experimentation and indulgence as a rite of passage from adolescence to young adulthood.

According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, almost half of fulltime college students surveyed (aged 18 to 22) drank alcohol in the past month.

Of that number, over a quarter of them engaged in binge drinking during that same time frame - binge drinking defined as consuming five or more drinks or more on one occasion for males and four or more drinks for females.

In 2019, a survey showed that over 800,000 full-time college students nationwide would be attending classes while in recovery.

Students on a journey towards recovery need a safe and accepting environment where they can work towards sobriety and in Palm Beach County, they can find it at the Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) at Florida Atlantic University - a campus-based, support program for students and recovery allies.

“We offer a range of services and resources to help students maintain stability, achieve academic success and build a strong sense of community,” said vice president of the FAU CRC Zach Shaffer. “Given the extreme prevalence of overdose deaths in South Florida, services are urgently needed to support people in recovery from substance use disorder and other mental health challenges. The FAU CRC aims to fill this need on campus by supporting students in recovery and promoting harm reduction strategies.”

The extreme prevalence Zach speaks of is the statistic that overdose is the leading cause of death for any American under the age of 50 and that in 2021, over 100,000

Americans died from a drug or alcohol overdose with over 7,000 of those deaths occurring in Florida and over 500 of those deaths occurring in Palm Beach County.

“In addition to counseling and regular peer support meetings, we also offer social activities and educational resources on addiction and recovery,” Zach said.

Since their inception in the 1970s, CRC programs have grown throughout the United States and now, there are over 200 formally recognized programs throughout the country with more programs emerging on an annual basis.

Created in the summer of 2020, the FAU CRC has 33 active members and hosts resource fairs and engages in community service.

“We also host an annual walk in remembrance of international overdose day and we conduct regular naloxone training and distribution on campus,” Zach said.

Peer support is critical to the success of students on their recovery journey - in addition to showing them that they are not struggling alone, students can also work with others to facilitate sober activities and learn how to socialize without using drugs or alcohol. Relational peer networks can also help improve academic progress.

“Students participating in CRCs have been found to have higher GPAs and retention rates, lower rates of substance use, and improved quality of life compared to non-participants,” Zach said. “And FAU definitely has a successful program.”

To learn more about FAU’S Collegiate Recovery Community, click here. https://collegiaterecovery.org/project/florida-atlantic-university/

The Fountain is a space for youth to share their point of view on things that matter to them. To contribute, send your article ideas to thewell@ bewellpbc.org with “The Fountain” in the subject line.

MEDICAL ADMINISTRATOR

We celebrate the first graduating Seniors (40 total from 3 schools) to complete the Behavioral Health Technician Program in The School District of Palm Beach County. This curriculum (brand new this school year) was designed to provide high school students with the learning and experience necessary for them to pass the Behavioral Health Technician Certification given by the Florida Certification Board. Upon graduation the students can begin working in an entry level position while they work toward the 1,500 field hours required for the full Behavioral Health Technician certification.

The Behavioral Health Technician Program is the first of its kind to be offered in secondary curriculum statewide. Developed in partnership with BeWellPBC and the School District of Palm

COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

Beach County’s Choice and Career Options and Behavioral and Mental Health Departments, and included Palm Beach County Youth Services Department, CareerSource Palm Beach County, United Way of Palm Beach County, and several other partners.

With support from The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation and Merrell Family Foundation, BeWellPBC was able to present 21 Seniors with scholarships to support their path to college, to their first job in the field, or as they enter the military. We salute the School District staff who were instrumental in developing the program, the teachers instructing and supporting the students in their first steps in their career journeys, and the students for blazing the trail.

COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL