Approach

Approach

The AC Umbrella Project addresses the mental health and addiction needs of emerging adults within a post-secondary institution.

The two-year project is built from best practices and evidence-based research and will lead to sustainable and effective strategies that will address students’ harmful use of substances now and in the future. This project is structured on a socio-ecological model that meets students on various levels: individual, interpersonal, institutional, and community standpoint. Using a harm reduction approach to students’ substance use allows us to follow the research and literature on best practices for intervention with post-secondary students.

With best-practices as the foundation, the AC Umbrella Project has built a General Advisory Committee for key campus stakeholders. This committee meets regularly to provide feedback and support for the implementation of various activities and discussions on campus.

The AC Umbrella Project is a College-wide campaign focused on awareness, risk, and harm reduction strategies. It is shifting the substance use culture on campus through:

  • Training and consultation with the College’s employees;
  • A mechanism for providing the students with access to existing community-based substance abuse treatment resources;
  • Digital program delivery strategies;
  • An effective and supportive linkage between students transitioning from community substance support programs and the College.

Harm reduction is an umbrella term for policies and practices focused on reducing the problematic effects of alcohol and other drug use. (Erickson, Butters, & Walko, 2002).

Goals

  1. Decrease barriers to academic success, and increase student retention and student graduations.
  2. Increase skills, abilities, and confidence of College faculty and staff to address and support students who are struggling with substance use issues.
  3. Enhance students’ self-efficacy to self-assess and seek support.
  4. Increase College resources to assist students in reducing harms related to substance use.