<p>Last week, I read a thread where the OP was seeking advice re: son who was considering deferring from a "more selective" college b/c of mental health (anxiety) and substance abuse (alcohol and marijuana). Many of the posters responded advising that OP's family take is slowly and suggesting options in addition to therapy/treatment during S's "gap" year.</p>
<p>All of this (and recent posts about alcohol on campus) made me wonder, as I posted, whether the college to which that poster's S had been admitted was still a good choice. And more generally, what one would look for if one's S or D wer in recovery and applying to college.</p>
<p>My gut says stay close to home, avoid obvious party schools and check out the serveces on-campus and in the surrounding community. But I also suspect that, as with most things, the devil is in the details.</p>
<ul>
<li>what constitutes "good" on-campus services? </li>
<li>would the student be comfortable in sub-free housing (a friend's S found the sub-free students to be far more conservative than he was)?<br></li>
<li>what constitutes a good/supportive surrounding community? (anything beyond AA/NA meetings and public transportation? is there a student/townie rift?)</li>
<li>to what extend does size matter (size of school, size of surrounding community)</li>
</ul>
<p>Anyone been down this path and have practical advice?</p>
<p>I shouuld say that I’ve never been down the path of substance abuse, but that I know/saw several students who were struggling with this while I was in high school and college. So this is somewhat of an outsiders perspective. </p>
<p>1) Good on campus services are those that are easy to access and plentiful to students. Many people don’t realize that if you don’t buy the college’s health insurance plan (if you opt to keep your kid on your own plan for example), they may be limited in the number of counseling sessions they can go to or the extent of routine care they can receive at the health center. So if your kid has to travel off campus every week or few weeks to see a counselor, that’s not ideal and gives them an excuse not to go. Also, campuses that provide a lot of drug/alcohol related information and keep that as a present part of campus life. Do you see pamphlets/posters frequently around campus? At campus parties do they serve alcohol and do they check ID? What are the rules regarding reporting a student who seems to be suffering from alcohol poisoning or other problems (the worst situation is when kids die because their friends were too scared to call for help when they started exhibiting dangerous symptoms while partying, lest all of the kids get in trouble. Colleges that institute no-fault rules are definitely a good start). </p>
<p>As for a good/supportive surrounding community, meetings are of course great. But it also helps if the community seems to be strict particularly about minors and alcohol. Are there a lot of bars in the area and do they ID heavily? Is it easy for kids to get a fake ID, do a lot of kids go into town to drink (not sure how you would tell this, though)? Communities that self-enforce drinking and substance usage laws strictly are probably the best for a recovering addict because they’ll be less likely to be surrounded by triggers in the early stages of their recovery. And there will be consequences for violation. </p>
<p>I think size really does matter. At a smaller school, there are not as many kids to keep track of so it’s easier for RAs, students, and administrators to notice when one person’s behavior is beginning to get dangerous. Smaller communities are harder. THey can be more isolated, with less opportunity to buy drugs and illegal (or legal) alcohol. But the isolation can also mean that kids are more driven to drink and drug on campus. Larger communities there’s more external temptation, but also more outlets for healthy recreation (museums, movie theaters, etc.).</p>
<p>I know several people who have dealt with this issue. They have each chosen different routes. One friend whose child was in treatment in HS is now finishing up 2 yrs at the local CC living at home. They are not sure where her child will live when she transfers in the fall. My friend is hoping her child choses to live off campus in an area that is more typically grad students to find a quiet living area. Also they checked out availablity of meetings in the area and ease of getting to them without a car.
Another had her stepchild who left his college freshman year live at a treatment center that combined treatment, meetings and local colleges. The treatment center had various levels of independent living. I have not seen this person in the last year so I am not sure how it worked out.
Another young adult friend of mine who is now almost 30 lived at home and commuted to a high level university. She was 24 when she went back to school. She felt that she needed the maturity and some solid sober time behind her before she reentered college.</p>
<p>Schools that have some support but I have no first hand knowledge of. Washington State Univ has a sober house but it looks like from their website that this is the last year due to budget cuts. Univ of Texas at Austin has a center for students in recovery. Also Case Western has a Recovery living house.
Another option- my friend whose D has a severe eating disorder went away to college after being stable for several years. By the end of the first semester she had gone downhill. She took a leave and when she returned in the fall with a good therapist she lived with her grandparents who lived in the college town. That worked better for her. She is graduating this spring.</p>