13th and Fee Lane [map]
Indiana University Bloomington, IN
Mission
Promoting the education and awareness of the dangers and issues surrounding addiction and substance abuse, primarily through
the use of live music and local resources as a way to connect the Bloomington community in a safe, engaging way!
Goals
Promote local music and art
Provide resource information
Connect community and students to resources
Educate through free full-scale concert
Awareness at high risk times
Educate people on what to do if in trouble
Be Smart
Stay informed on local and national legislation
Make informed, educated, and responsible decisions to live responsibly
Be proactive, not reactive - don’t wait to save a life
There are several important issues to be aware of in dealing with a friend who might have an alcohol and/or drug problem.
Know that interventions are not to be taken lightly. You can call Jackie Daniels at the Office of Alternative Screening and
Intervention Services (OASIS) through IU at (812)856-3898 for additional information and support beyond this article.
Do: Plan ahead of time. Check out what resources are available around campus and in the community for drug and
alcohol education, treatment, and support services.
Don't: Talk to your friend if he/she is intoxicated. The best time to talk to someone is when they are sober.
Sometimes people are more receptive immediately following a "bad night" of using. Don't try to talk to someone about
getting help or addressing a problem when they are high or intoxicated. The person might be open to talking when under the
influence however these types of interactions rarely produce any meaningful results as the person is not truly present and
may not even remember the talk the next day. The worse thing you can do is get caught up in a pattern where an intoxicated
person calls you regularly (maybe waking you up) to talk about their problems and share remorse for their chemical use.
This will only serve to wear you out and enable the person not to take legitimate steps to get help.
Do: Assess your motives for reaching out to the person. If you have motives other than caring and concern the
person will probably pick up on this and may reject your help. With this in mind if you occasionally abuse alcohol and
drugs yourself, the person might want to confront what they perceive to be the hypocrisy of your concern.
Don't: Take the persons inventory. Critiquing or judging the person is a way to immediately create defensiveness in
the person and to lose an opportunity to be helpful. As soon as a person feels judged they will tune you out.
Do: Present your concerns with "I" statements. Try to share at a level where you express your feelings about what
you have observed. Sharing "I am sad or scared" about something witnessed works much better than "you pissed me off
when¦".
Don't: Preach at the person. You will lose your audience quickly if you do this.
Do: Realize that people need to have choices. Avoid telling the person that they have to do anything. The truth is
that they do not have to do anything at all. Encouragement and suggestions work best.
Don't: Attempt to shame the person into taking responsibility for a problem. This never works and will just serve
to add additional emotional distress to what the person is already experiencing. Avoid shaming phrases like telling the
person what they "should" do.
***Do: Share with the person how much you appreciate them and validate their own personal strengths. Making
statements about their likability when sober might be helpful. Addiction is a progressive disease so you might want to
share how much you miss the person they were before their lifestyle was overtaken with partying.
Things to Remember:
Helping someone is sometimes a process and not an event. Often sharing of concern is met with indifference or
defensiveness. You can present concern and let the person know you are around if they ever want to talk. It might take a
long time for a person to actually reach out for help and to appreciate your support. Again let them know you are available
to talk anytime as long as they are sober.
Be aware that typically people with alcohol or drug problems resent and will push away people that may recognize their
problem and show concern.
Be aware that denial is a cornerstone of addiction and a student living in a drinking culture can find many ways to
reinforce a belief that abnormal chemical use is normal.
Treatment Options U. S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Center for Substance Abuse Treatment: 800-662-HELP
Remember, **CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY in all emergency situations!
Alcohol / Drug Information Center
The Alcohol-Drug Information Center’s goal is to prevent and respond to misuse and abuse of alcohol and other drugs through
education, information, referral, and policy.
Amethyst House
Amethyst House, Inc., is a Bloomington, IN based not-for-profit United Way agency that provides residential and outpatient
services for people with drug and alcohol addiction and problem gambling issues with an additional outpatient office in
Evansville, Indiana.
Sharon Blair
Sharon Blair's daughter, Jennifer Reynolds, died on January 15, 2009 at the age of 29 after overdosing on prescription drugs. Since
then, Blair has moved to Bloomington and teamed up with Senators Vi Simpson and Sue Errington. The lawmakers drafted the Jennifer
Act (IN Senate Bill 380) and introduced it in January of 2010.
Jennifer had battled a drug addiction since she was 16 years old, and Blair says there was no help beyond the traditional 72-hour
hold in place in most states.
According to Blair, "I didn't drop the ball. As a matter of fact, I was screaming at the rooftop of my house for help for my
daughter, because I knew she wasn't going to make it if I couldn't get an intervention."
The help never came.
So now, a Bloomington mother is bringing her grassroots effort from Florida to Indiana.
It's called The Jennifer Act, and it's all about intervention, even if the person needing the help refuses to get treated for drug
addiction.
The Jennifer Act bill will provide Drug and alcohol abuse commitments. Provides procedures for the involuntary commitment of a
person due to alcohol or drug abuse. Requires the division of mental health and addiction to maintain and operate or contract for
alcohol and drug rehabilitation facilities, including faith based facilities. The Jennifer Act bill requires the law enforcement
academy to provide training regarding persons with alcohol or drug addictions, including training for involuntary commitments for
alcohol or drug use. The Jennifer Act bill requires the department of correction and county jails to provide alcohol and drug
rehabilitation to all offenders with alcohol or drug addictions.
(Reference: Committee on Corrections, Criminal, and Civil Matters. Indiana)
Update
The Jennfier Act has passed, and is now Indiana Senate ConCurrent Resolution No. 7. Click here
to read the whole bill.
Hoosier P.A.C.T.
Hoosier P.A.C.T (Proactive Alcohol Care Treatment) is a procedure that not only enhances student safety, but also saves lives.
It allows Indiana University students, both on and off campus, to proactively seek medical assistance in times of need. As a gentle
reminder, always CALL 911 in the event of any medical emergency.
Click Here for more information on Hoosier P.A.C.T
RPS Alcohol and Drug Workgroup Philosophy Statement
The Residential Programs and Services (RPS) Alcohol and Drug Workgroup consists of a group of professional staff members and
residence hall students at Indiana University. The focus of the Workgroup is to promote the health and safety of IU students,
with regard to alcohol and drug usage, behaviors, and campus culture. Our goal is to encourage awareness of choice, personal
responsibility and understanding of consequences related to the usage of alcohol and drugs.
The Workgroup will focus on:
Empowering students to make informed choices about alcohol and other drugs through education and programming;
Fostering change within the IU campus culture to help reduce and prevent high-risk use of alcohol, drugs and its related
consequences;
Educating students regarding the effects of high-risk usage of alcohol and drugs, and how it relates to the law,
university policies and community standards;
Evaluating current policies and making recommendations for future policies, sanctions, and campus resources to better
support change within the campus culture to minimize high-risk alcohol and drug usage;
Supporting programming in the Residence Halls and throughout campus focusing on issues related to alcohol and drug use
Confronting Addiction: The Short Documentary (2009)
Presented by Addicted To Music...this is the documentary about three people and the stories of their family members who battled
addiction. Featuring Justin Schreiber, Ben Hopkins, and Amy McCormick.
Together we can kick the addiction, and become "Addicted to Music"
