Fairbanks, Alaska– A new program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks has partnered hospital practitioners with university staff to offer students specialized evaluation, direct intervention and rapid treatment referral for alcohol or other drug problems.

The program, which began this semester as a joint outreach effort by UAF Student Services, the Center for Health and Counseling and the Family Recovery Center at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, adopts an aggressive and comprehensive approach to respond to alcohol and other drug abuse on the campus, according to UAF CHC Director John Fellerath.

Direct intervention will begin with Guy Patterson, a certified recovery center chemical dependency counselor, who will provide on-campus evaluation services every Thursday afternoon. Students participating in the program will be referred for evaluation to Patterson by UAF staff.

Several treatment options will be available for students, including continued on-campus counseling, out-patient therapy at one of Fairbanks' abuse prevention facilities, or, in the case of toxicity or dependency, in-patient treatment at FMH.

One of the biggest advantages to the new program is that students with alcohol or substance abuse problems will now have access to immediate clinical assistance, according to FRC Director Carol Davila.

"The Recovery Center has always taken pride in being there personally when someone calls for help, but now we're going mobile," Davila said. "We will meet with students face-to-face, help them identify problems and lead them to assistance."

Most student evaluations are expected to be administrative referrals from UAF's

judicial officer and associate Dean of Students Don Foley. Reported incidents of students involving alcohol or substance abuse are funneled through Foley from the Department of Residence Life, UAF Police Department and other student and academic departments.

The $65 referral and evaluation fee is waived for students who voluntarily seek screening services to help them determine if they have a drug or alcohol abuse problem. If the referral comes as an administrative request, then the student will pay $35 and the remaining $30 will be subsidized by UAF. If the referral comes from a court-mandated evaluation, then the student must pay the entire fee.

"By increasing the involvement of the campus judicial officer, the new program adds muscle to the alcohol policies on campus," Fellerath said. Students are also held more accountable for their actions, which then acts as a deterrent towards future problems, Foley added.

Incidents involving alcohol are the biggest problem university police have to deal with on campus, according to UAF Police Sgt. Syrilyn Tong.

"Providing clinical intervention is just one part of solving that problem," Tong said. "We're also working on scheduling different activities, offered at times and days when we see the most problems, to give students a chance to do something fun that doesn't involve drinking."

Based on UAF crime statistics for last spring, providing students with clear options to drinking has been a success. Reports of alcohol-related incidents in the residence halls were down 25 percent from the previous semester, according to Tong.

The alternative programming, which was funded by a $15,000 grant from the State of Alaska Division of Family and Youth Services, focused on "high-risk times"– weekends and late at night– when most alcohol-related problems occur. Tong and the UAF Student Activities Office coordinated activities like Karaoke contests, all-night movies and swing dancing during those times as alternatives to drinking. SAO and UAFPD also scheduled activities specifically for residents in the Student Apartment Complex during Meltdown Weekend, an annual spring celebration event that had also been classified as a "high-risk" time for students.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CRIME STATISTICS AT UAF OR TO RECEIVE A BROCHURE, CONTACT UAF POLICE DEPARTMENT AT (907) 474-7721.

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