Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration Hotline
1-800-662-4357
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline “988” (available 24/7) Call or text this number if you are having thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Kaskaskia College believes that health and wellness are important components for a student’s academic success. KC encourages a healthy campus environment and has many dedicated resources, both on and off campus, to support our students. The Student Wellness intervention and Facilitation Team (SWIFT) is one of these resources to assist our students in overcoming needs and challenges.
Services
The mission of SWIFT is to assist students in addressing needs related to wellness and facilitating referrals as necessary to help students achieve overall success. If you are or know of a student in need of assistance from SWIFT please complete the SWIFT referral form below.
SWIFT members can be identified throughout campus by the SWIFT logo magnet on their office door. Each SWIFT member has dedicated his or her office as a safe place for students in need. While all SWIFT members may not have a clinical background, they are trained to provide a first initial support during an emotional crisis. However, Kaskaskia College assumes no liability for any identified or unidentified crises that occur either with or without the involvement of the SWIFT Team. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911 or contact campus security at 618-545-3199.
SWIFT members: Terri Ingles, Alexis Myers, Brad Odum, Janice Eischens, Shawn Richards, Jody Roper, Kenneth Ingersoll, Alex Duffy (SAFE), Rosemary Gordon-Young, Tommy Henegar, DeAndre Williams, Madison Reuss, Rachel Hartmann, Nick Rahar, Kim Rahar, Steven Foutch, and Terri Sanders.
College can be very stressful and, at times, students turn to drug or alcohol as a way to cope. There are many dangers associated with drugs and alcohol use and more importantly, drug and alcohol abuse provides barriers to student success. Underage drinking and illegal drug use are significant public health problems which exact an enormous toll on the intellectual and social lives of students on campuses across the United States.
A college policy and procedure has been developed which contains information about drugs of abuse and dangers of alcohol use. Also, the campus procedure includes information regarding legal challenges that students face if they abuse drugs and alcohol. Educational resources can be found in the ACE, in an annual student email, in the Student Handbook and by visiting the websites listed on the page.
Alcohol Use and Abuse
Drinking at college has become a ritual that students often see as an integral part of their higher education experience. Many students come to college with established drinking habits, and the college environment can exacerbate the problem. According to a national survey, almost 55 percent of college students ages 18-22 drank alcohol in the past month, and more than 1 out of 3 of them engaged in binge drinking during that same timeframe. (https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/college-drinking). Potential consequences of drinking among college students include the following:
academic problems such as missing classes and performing poorly on projects or tests
loss of institutional scholarship or sanctions related not following the guidelines of the scholarship
involvement in physical altercations
increased likelihood of becoming the victim of sexual assault
motor vehicle accidents
legal issues related to underage drinking
death from alcohol overdose.
Marijuana Use and Abuse
Although recreational marijuana use for people over 21 years old became legal in Illinois in January 2020, it is against college policies to use marijuana on the campus and many activities and programs prohibit using the drug. Contrary to popular belief, marijuana is addictive. Research shows that:
1-in-6 people who start using the drug before the age of 18 can become addicted.
For example, use of marijuana carries real risk for health and quality of life. Today’s marijuana has more than 3 times the concentration of THC than marijuana from 25 years ago. More THC — the mind-altering chemical in marijuana — may lead to an increase in dependency and addiction. Use of marijuana impairs your memory, affects your performance, lowers your brain performance, presents driving dangers and if pregnant, can harm your baby.
Drug Use and Abuse
Opioids have become drugs of abuse in recent years and created a national health crisis. Opioids are medications prescribed by physicians for pain relief and are very addictive
Illicit drugs include amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, heroin, ketamine, ecstasy, mescaline, angel dust, mushrooms and steroids (and more). All of these drugs have long term effects of physical and/or psychological dependence and other negative impacts to health and wellness. Also, use of these drugs without supervision of a physician carries legal consequences for the user
The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Policy & Procedure can be found by using the KC Policy and Procedure website.
SAFE is a non-profit crisis center. Services include: Medical/Legal Advocacy and Counseling. All of SAFE services are FREE!
KC has a Confidential Advisor. If you are in need of services, please contact:
Alex Duffy Prevention Educator/COA SAFE Advocate Office: Lifelong Learning Center, LLC 103 618-545-3226 24 hour SAFE hotline at 1-800-625-1414
Lactation Room
KC has a dedicated space for mothers who are breastfeeding. The lactation room is located inside the women's restroom in Science and Technology Building Room 200 (ST 200).
Gender Neutral / Family Restroom Locations
A 113A – Dressing room near stage
A 122A – Dressing room near stage
HB 202 – Faculty area on 2nd floor HB
HB 204 – Faculty area on 2nd floor HB
ST 118 – ST Annex hallway
AEC 115 – Agricultural Education Building
N Family Restroom– Located with Faculty Offices in Nursing Building
Talkspace is a virtual service that connects members with licensed mental health providers for counseling, therapy, and medication support. All care is delivered through a private and secure digital platform (iOS/Android/Web), so members can send their therapist private text messages anytime or attend a video appointment from anywhere.”
