Why this is important: Housing staff are often in the position to be the eyes and ears for other social service and counseling resources that may be needed to help a resident struggling with addiction. This course will provide information about common forms of addictions and the dangers to be aware of (notably, touching surfaces and people who may pass chemicals through your skin), as well as what to do in order to facilitate a referral. 
 
Description: This micro-learning course offers research-based, practical advice for housing staff to address substance abuse and addiction with their residents. This program will review the common signs of addiction they may encounter and how to adopt a stance of assistance and support rather than becoming an extension of monitoring or law enforcement. Guidance on how to talk to someone with a potential addiction problem will be offered in terms of dos and don’ts, as well as examples of successful referrals and common pitfalls housing staff may fall into when trying to help. 
 
Housing staff will be able to:
Identify common signs of addiction for alcohol and THC
Understand the importance of your role in helping and protecting the larger housing community of residents
Understand ways to bring up concerns without becoming threatening or lecturing to the residents
Use the on-call and support system to keep in contact with administrators and supervisors
Apply counseling skills such as active listening, summarizing and paraphrasing to help encourage residents to seek help