Alcohol & Other Drug Assistance Program

Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Counseling is a confidential, supportive process to discuss what is happening in your life or in the life of a student or friend. Our licensed specialists will: 

• Be caring
• Listen
• Provide helpful information
• Be objective
• Be non-judgmental
• Explore alternatives

AOD counseling can be a single meeting consultation, short-term (2 to 6 meetings), or longer depending on the goals you want to accomplish. These meetings will help you address troubling experiences or feelings, or they can be used to support changes you wish to make in your life.

If any of the following statements describe your situation or apply to someone you know, you may wish to consider AOD counseling or refer someone to counseling. Consider the following signs of a potential problem:

• If you drink to get drunk.
• If you drink or use other drugs alone.
• If you have experienced loss of memory or blackouts due to drinking and/or other drug use.
• If you feel you need to use a substance to be liked in social situations.
• If others have expressed concern about your relationship with alcohol or other drugs.
• If your substance use is causing conflicts with your family, friends, or significant other.
• If you need to use substances in order to enjoy yourself or feel normal.
• If you have said or done anything you regretted due to drinking or other drug use.
• If drinking or other drug use results in having unsafe or unwanted sexual experiences.
• If you have unsuccessfully tried to cut down or stop your alcohol or other drug use.

You may feel hesitant about seeking AOD counseling for a variety of reasons, or you’ve tried to limit your use of alcohol or other drugs on your own without success.
You may be concerned that if you seek counseling services, this will appear on your school records, or that seeking counseling means you are crazy. Other students worry that entering counseling somehow means a loss of control over their lives and that a counselor may promote unwanted goals. One common misconception is that all students struggling with alcohol use need to end their alcohol use. 

You’re not alone in these concerns, but if you attend counseling, you’ll find

• A brave space to talk about experiences and feelings.
• A safe place that keeps what you have to say confidential.
• Advantages in talking to a neutral person who is not a part of your everyday life.
• Empowerment to effectively reach self-directed goals for your life that result in feeling better about yourself and life in general.

In collaboration with the Office of Residence Life, ADAP will perform assessments and recommend support plans for students who are struggling with alcohol and/or other drug issues that can impact their ability to function independently in university housing or have violated housing policies.

In this case, our Residence Life staff members will refer you to ADAP staff who will assess your situation and make suggestions. 

Check out these links for the latest news, trends, and information on addiction and recovery:

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Scientific research and expert commentary
• College Drinking Learn more about drinking habits among college students
• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) A division of the Department of Health and Human Services, full of links to hotlines and other help
• NJ Al-Anon Join the fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope, in order to solve their common problems
• T-Break Guide: https://www.uvm.edu/health/t-break-take-cannabis-tolerance-break
• This is Quitting: https://truthinitiative.org/thisisquitti

Additional resources:[LP1] 

• New Jersey Quit Line: 1-866-657-8677
   This toll-free hotline, supported by the New Jersey Department of Health, connects callers to counselors. Counselors can also be reached at http://njquitline.org.

• Tobacco Dependence Program: 732-235-8222
   This free face-to-face treatment center is located in New Brunswick, NJ. The program is supported by CINJ, The Center for Tobacco Studies at the Rutgers School of Public Health, and RWJMS Department of Medicine.
   http://www.tobaccoprogram.org

• NJ QUITCENTERS

Free face-to-face treatment supported by the New Jersey Department of Health. Eleven regional 'quit centers' implement individual and group counseling, and provide nicotine replacement therapies. The quit centers are operated by these health networks: RWJ Barnabas Institute for Prevention & Recovery – Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Union counties.

For more information regarding Quitcenters, please email stopsmoking@rutgers.edu. Be sure to include your contact information (email address or phone number) in the body of your message, or call 732-235-8222.

Naloxone, brandname Narcan, is a nasal spray medication used to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. Opioids (such as the prescription pain medication oxycodone or fentanyl) can stop breathing during an overdose. This can be fatal if not reversed.

Naloxone is easy to administer, causes no harm, and works immediately. We encourage our Rutgers community to pick up Narcan at the locations below and carry it with them in case of emergency.

https://youtu.be/odlFtGNjmMQ

You can't help if you're not prepared

Narcan Nasal Spray is Available Across Rutgers Campuses

Newark

• Blumenthal Hall outside Student Health
• Woodward outside the dining hall

RBHS-N

• Student Health at RBHS Newark
• Medical Sciences Building - C Level (beside escalators)

New Brunswick

Busch Student Center

• Restrooms by the Multipurpose Room

College Ave Student Center

• Lower level Atrium restrooms

Cook Student Center

• Restrooms by front entrance

Douglass Student Center

• Women’s room by cafe
• Men's room by Trayes Hall

Livingston Student Center

• Restrooms across from the 107 classrooms

Camden

Student Health & Wellness Center

• Inside waiting room

Nursing Building

• 3rd floor by SNC Cares

Paul Robeson Library Camden -

• 1st floor on the Free Supply Table

New Jersey's Good Samaritan Law, also known as the State of New Jersey, has a two-pronged approach to prevent drug overdose deaths:

• Providing legal protection to people who are in violation of the law, such as consuming drugs, while they are attempting to help a drug overdose victim.
• Eliminating negative legal action against health care professionals or bystanders who administer overdose antidotes, like naloxone, in life-threatening situations.