Show New Peer Support Team offers alternatives to troubled students Jack Foriska Associate Editor The Alcohol and Drug Prevention Education Peer Support Team which was formed Fall Quarter marked what may be the beginning of a new era at The brain child of Jeff Ross director director director tor of alcohol and drug prevention education the Peer Support Team is meant to provide a safe confidential L d y 27 v t r t The Peer Support Team is the brain brainchild brainchild brainchild child of Jeff Ross director of drug and alcohol education and prevention prevention prevention tion at Photo by Ed Lile and supportive listening place for students seeking solutions to stressful situations situations situations situa situa- which may mayor or may not be drug and alcohol related The Peer Support Team members were selected from froma a group of 22 applicants who participated in a 25 hour training workshop conducted between Spring and Summer Quarters At the end of the workshop participants were asked to evaluate each other Team members were chosen on the merits of those evaluations evaluations evaluations as well weIl as Ross's assess assess- ments Team members underwent further training Summer Quarter some of which was conducted by Gary Jorgensen Jorgen- Jorgen sen director of the University of Utah Medical Center Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program Similar to the Peer Counseling Program at Weber State University the Peer Support Team is only the second such program in the state The team members are not counselors or therapists but will provide confidential support and try to direct students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents to whatever services are I available In addition the Team will present education awareness and prevention information information information in in- formation to the campus and the comm community unity Support team members will be wearing wearing wearing wear wear- ing orange wrist bands to tomake tomake tomake make them recognizable to the Team members represent a broad cross section of the campus community the idea being that anyone on campus should be able to find someone someone someone some some- one on the team she can feel comfortable talking with Natalie Dimmick is 19 years old single and working toward an AS degree in general education She's involved involved involved in in- in the and the BACCHUS chapter She says Im a part of the Peer Support Support Support Sup Sup- port Team because Im I'm into people and I need to get in in- Jack Foriska 37 is the single father of a seven year old daughter He is seeking an AA degree in general education with an emphasis in communications Bob Kobzi 32 is married with 3 children and works for Delta Airlines He says he became became became be be- came interested in the program program program pro pro- gram because he has a strong H x jJ r 1 f r. Y 1 y y i a f s- s 1989 marks the marks the beginning of the Peer Support Team at The Team offers student to student contact concerning drug and alcohol tives Back row Monte Hanks Debra Stewart-Sato Stewart and Jack Fo Foriska Front row Bob Kobzi Monica Reed and Natalie Dimmick Photo by Ed Lile Ule interest in drug and alcohol recovery and its affects on family dynamics Monte Hanks 41 is pursuing pursuing pursuing pur pur- suing a career in social work and is single single handedly handedly raising raising raising rais rais- ing two teenage sons He is also active with BACCHUS and the Indian Club Monica Reed 24 is married married married mar mar- ried with two children ages two and three Currently enrolled enrolled en en- rolled roIled in the U. U Drug and Alcohol Counseling Program Program Program Pro Pro- gram she is finishing up her general education requirements requirements requirements require require- ments at Debra Stewart-Sato Stewart 30 was recently married and has hasa a six year old daughter She said she became interested in inthe inthe inthe the Peer Support Team because because because be be- cause I feel it is crucial to have people become a aware are of the effects of alcohol and drugs on the mind and body She is seeking a degree in social work The Peer Support Team is students helping students Hanks summed up the feelings feelings feelings feel feel- ings of the team when he said I believe that one person person person per per- son can make a positive difference difference difference dif dif- dif dif- ference in the lives around us with understanding and com com- passion We need to jump into life with both feet and help each other along the way After all we are all human beings with the same problems |