Resident Advisor / Graduate Resident Fellow

As an RA, GRF, or GCA, you are in a position to offer preventive education, along with health information and referral to students, their spouses and family members who have personal health concerns. You are student advocates for health: encouraging students to get timely assistance; contacting Gannett to give feedback, cutting red tape, offering consultation/advice, and providing assistance. We know there will be times when you also will need support in responding to student needs. Gannett’s medical staff, counselors and health educators are available to assist you in helping your residents. If you have urgent concerns, feel free call us. Our medical staff and counselors can provide phone consultation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Health Issues to Anticipate
Program Development Consultation
Alcohol and Other Drugs 

Health issues to anticipate

We have found that some of the most frequent health concerns our students experience involve physical injuries, pregnancy, emotional distress, mental illness, sexual assault, infectious diseases, alcohol/drug abuse, eating issues, and difficulty with cultural adjustment. In responding to these concerns, we encourage you to use the Gannett web site as a resource to learn more about our medical and counseling and support services and as a reference for other students. Our site also offers a review of several campus-wide initiatives that address key community health issues, including victim advocacy and responses to bias-related activity. There maybe ways you and your residents can support these activities. If you need more in-depth information on specific health topics, you can find a myriad of web links also listed on the site by topic area. We also invite you to consult with us as you plan passive and active programming efforts for your residents.

Program development consultation

Let us help you plan your next prevention program for residents. For the past 20 years, we have assisted hundreds of GCAs and RAs in planning creative, lively and fun-filled events on health topics such as sexuality, sexual assault prevention, alcohol and other drugs, sexual health, stress reduction, nutrition and culture shock. Learn about activities that have been successful in the past and how to adapt these to your situation. Visit Health A – Z to jump-start your planning. Program planning and technical assistance is available through Gannett Health Promotion.

A special word about alcohol and other drugs

Unfortunately, in your role as a GCA, GRF, or RA, you can expect to encounter alcohol and other drug use and abuse. Residence staff feel ambivalent about intervening in situations, whether as simple as a party where alcohol is being served to minors or as complicated as a student who seems to have a serious problem. But responding even to what seems like a minor alcohol-related infraction can be the first step in helping a student to reduce his or her risk for experiencing negative consequences due to alcohol or other drugs. Typically, the sanction for a first-time alcohol or other drug-related infraction is participation in Gannett’s BASICS program.

You will probably want to get advice from your supervisor, (Residence Hall Director, House Dean, or Graduate Residence Manager) in situations where you are concerned that a student might have a problem with alcohol or other drugs. Your supervisor is experienced in dealing with these topics and can help connect the student to resources on campus.

One situation where you should not hesitate to intervene is in the case of a medical emergency due to alcohol or other drugs. When a residence hall staff member calls for an ambulance in situations where the student has been drinking, the Medical Amnesty Protocol applies. Make sure you and your residents are aware of the signs of alcohol poisoning and the Medical Amnesty Protocol.

Would you like to do more to prevent alcohol and drug problems on your floor? There is a lot you can do. Enforcing the house rules without exception and from the beginning of the semester will give a clear message to residents about your expectations for appropriate behavior. Also, display a bulletin board or have a program on the topic. Gannett can help. Finally, be a role model by attending alcohol-free events. Go to movies, concerts and events sponsored by CU 2 Nite and invite your residents to come with you.