University of Rhode Island Health Services is bringing back their Considering Change sobriety meetings for another semester to provide students with a space to discuss and rethink the way they use substances.
The program, which began about five years ago, has been revamped by substance abuse analyst Catherine Calise and alcohol and other substances prevention services specialist Arielle Sherman Golembeski.
To attend the meetings, students don’t need to be sober, or even considering sobriety, according to Sherman. Students who are looking to cut back or make changes to their current lifestyle are welcome to attend.
No matter where students are on their wellness journey, there is a space available for them, according to Calise.
“There is a need on campus for recovery support, but [also] just support around substance use in general,” Calise said. “The Considering Change group is really for anybody that’s rethinking the way they want to reuse substances.”
Students have had positive reactions to the program and have utilized the program, according to Sherman. Students are able to come and go as they please and attend meetings on a schedule that works for them.
“I think it also can be a really hard first step for students to take,” Calise said. “I think it can feel intimidating.”
In addition to its meetings, the group has been working with other student organizations such as URI’s Student Event Advising Office to host substance-free events and be involved in the community, according to Sherman. One event held on Oct. 30 was a movie night in the Ram’s Den, where mocktails were served.
Another event held last year was a collaging event at 193 Coffeehouse in the Memorial Union, according to Calise. The group aims to provide students with different ways to have fun and reduce the harm of substances.
“The whole idea that college is surrounding alcohol or substances – we have to break that myth down, because not everyone is doing that,” Sherman said.
The group also wants to make sure that this initiative stays on campus and is utilized by students, according to Sherman.
“We have it out there because students are potentially in all different places when they come to school and then they get impacted by a lot of different things when they’re here,” Sherman said.
By having this resource available, Sherman and Calise hope to connect with and help students who are struggling with various substance-related issues.
“I would like students to know that they are welcomed and supported no matter where they are in their wellness journey, that there are people there to listen to them, to hear their stories, whether they need us just to listen or offer some guidance, but that there is a place on campus if a student is looking for support around their substance use,” Calise said.
During the week of Oct. 21, the group also held tabling events at the Memorial Union and on the Quad, according to Sherman. These informational events included educating students on blood alcohol levels and tolerance, alcohol poisoning, how alcohol interacts with drugs and binge drinking.
Heading into the remainder of the semester, the group hopes to host other late-night substance-free events, according to Sherman. In December, they plan to host a mocktail and paint night in one of the Memorial Union’s atriums.
“I want to point out that we don’t need to be drunk, we don’t need to be high, we don’t need to be on something to actually have fun or meet people that we can have a connection with,” Sherman said.
For more information about group meetings, visit @urihealthpromotion on Instagram. Interested students can also scan Considering Change group QR codes posted across campus and complete a Google Form. Meetings are held on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in Memorial Union Room 354.