A grim reality some college students face is the potential struggle with sobriety. Several factors play into this issue on a global scale, but one thing remains clear: students need support when struggling with addictive behavior(s). Without support from trusted and knowledgeable sources, students risk falling deeper into addiction, dropping out of school or worse. UA’s Division of Student Life is critically aware of this fact and is actively implementing plans, stewarding resources and guiding students to the proper sources to ensure maximum student success both in and out of the classroom. To combat student addiction at the Capstone, the office of Collegiate Recovery and Intervention Services (CRIS) within Student Life provides a comprehensive continuum of care for students with substance use concerns. CRIS is composed of licensed clinicians and professional staff, all experts in the mental health and addiction recovery fields. The life changing services and support from CRIS impact students every day. Mondo Garduno, a Tuscaloosa native, is well acquainted with CRIS and is one of the office’s biggest advocates.
Mondo transferred to UA after earning an associate degree in science from Shelton State Community College. He was actively combating addiction while undertaking this stressful transition. He tried as hard as he could to live normally while in addiction; but, after months of attempting to go about life without support, Mondo realized he needed help. After some independent research, he discovered the CRIS office and its ability to help him.
“I was doing research for places to go [for help] on campus and I found Collegiate Recovery. After talking to my mom. . . I decided to go there and check it out to see what they offered,” he explained.
Upon visiting the CRIS office, Mondo discovered several care options available to him designed to work with his lifestyle as a student. Services like individual and group counseling, coaching, academic support and more are specially curated at CRIS to allow students to work through substance use and other concerns while maintaining their student status. Mondo revealed more about the services that help him and other students involved with CRIS each and every day at the Capstone.
“We’ll have seminars that go into depth on different topics like learning how to manage finances, how to approach problems we have in our day-to-day lives and learning how to evaluate our feelings. They give us free counseling and priority registration, as well as a space on campus where we can all be involved and connect with the community. . . Everything is so impactful,” he said.
As Mondo continued to receive services with CRIS, he began to greatly appreciate the camaraderie of his peers working to better themselves just like him. The encouragement from others coupled with his progress in recovery prompted Mondo to join the Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC), a community of students within CRIS pursuing long-term recovery from alcohol or other drugs. They meet daily each morning with a group reading of recovery literature, have access to private areas of campus for security and peace-of-mind, a computer lab solely for the CRC and more. A staff member also coordinates events for the CRC year-round so they can have recreational outings without worrying about outside sources compromising their recovery from substance use. Even with all of these amazing benefits, Mondo’s favorite aspect of CRIS and the CRC is the community.
“The part of CRIS and CRC that made me stay was the community they had going on. It was more family oriented, in a sense, with how close everybody was. Everybody was open with how they communicated with each other and. . . you could relate with them and see yourself in them. We focus on what we can do moving forward to better each other, so we do really well with uplifting each other and giving a safe space for people to come, be open and express how they feel with what’s going on in their life.”
CRIS and the CRC within it are extremely valuable resources and support centers for Mondo and other students like him. Thousands of college students across the country struggle with substance use and many of them do not recover enough to complete their degree. CRIS helps prevent these tragedies from happening on UA’s campus and gives students support they need to succeed. Mondo emphasized how important their work is on campus for the students they serve.
“My college experience wouldn’t be an experience if I didn’t have Collegiate Recovery. I would more than likely not be here on campus. I wasn’t doing the things I needed to be doing. Whether that was going to class, studying or just being the person I am today in general. I’m going to graduate in May, and I don’t think I would be able to graduate at all if I didn’t have the Collegiate Recovery center to help me stay on track and give me the support I needed during those times.”