University Trains Athletes to Educate Peers About Substance Abuse

The National Collegiate Athletic Association awarded Western Connecticut State University a $30,000 grant to fund the "Winning Choices" project to educate student athletes about substance abuse.

Sharon Guck, coordinator of WestConn's Office of Substance Abuse Prevention Services, enlisted WestConn varsity athletes to act as trained peer educators.

"I've told the athletes, 'People look up to you whether or not you are ready for that role, so respond to it,'" Guck said. "They're enthusiastic and really genuine. ... If you give them the opportunity and the tools and help them along a bit, you'll be surprised by what they come up with."

Guck also coordinates the WestConn substance abuse prevention program, Cultivating Healthy Opportunities in College Environments (CHOICES). CHOICES provides training workshops for resident advisors in recognizing substance abuse and signs that intervention is needed, and collaborates with faculty to integrate alcohol and drug information into courses in various different departments.

"We have filled a void on this campus," said Guck. "Previously a faculty member who became aware of a student in class with a substance abuse problem was uncertain where to turn for a referral or help. Now they have a resource and they are using it."

When students are referred to Guck's office, she uses brief motivational interviewing "to see why they made these mistakes and to explore how I can motivate them not to make these mistakes again. We have to team up and deal with this problem together," she said, adding that the involvement of the entire community is necessary to effect lasting change. "I couldn't do this in my office here, seeing 60 to 70 students a year," she said. "When you get the faculty involved, when you get athletes involved, when you get sororities and fraternities involved, that's what it takes to change a culture."

(10/14/2005)