• Contact Us
  • Location & Hours
  • Phone Numbers
  • Appointments
  • Feedback


• Clinics & Services
  • Clinics & Services
  • Programs & Classes
  • Meet The Providers
  
  
• Insurance & Billing
  • Student Coverage
  • Health Insurance
  • Patient Billing
  
  
• Health Education
  • Health Topics
  • Student Groups
  • Data & Statistics
  
  
• General Info
  • About Us
  • From The Director
  • Public Health Projects
  • Employment

  Search Boynton

Adapted from University of Missouri-Columbia.

1. Realize that the student may be negatively affected by alcohol or other drug use and may  need to talk to you about how his or her use influences performance and behavior at work/in class/at home, etc.

2. Let the student know privately that you are concerned about them, their physical and emotional health, as well as academic performance, job performance, or other relevant areas of concern.

3. Communicate your concern by using “I” messages, e.g., “I wanted to talk to you because I have noticed you have been turning in your work late. I wanted to find out how you are doing.”

4. Helpful intervention is a process, not an event (it takes time). When people are confronted about their behavior, they tend to be defensive. Try to remain calm, do not lecture and do not judge. Avoid diagnosing or labeling the student “You have a drinking problem.”

5. Anticipate possible responses where the student may minimize use, changes the topic, makes excuses, jokes about use, or challenges you regarding your own use. Ignoring the student’s self-defeating behavior is not helpful.

6. Avoid arguing with the student, getting angry or taking a negative response personally.

7. Talk about what you see the student doing as if you were holding up a mirror to the student to let him or her see what you see (e.g., “I noticed that you have been missing class and looking tired…”).

8. Do not delay your talk with the student. Sparing the person the consequences of substance use will not help the student since these consequences effect the student’s performance at work, in the classroom and in other ways.

9. Do not enable a student’s drinking by suggesting that they “get bombed” after completing a difficult assignment or a hard day at work.

10. Be prepared to offer the student information regarding where he or she can talk more about the problem. Follow up your intervention by talking with the student at a later time to find out what progress has been made.