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UNIVERSITY POLICY

To set UMDNJ policy in the event of impairment among students, to provide assistance to impaired students, and to protect the health and safety of patients, students and employees of UMDNJ.

II.       ACCOUNTABILITY

Under the President and the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Deans shall implement and the Schools' Student Affairs administrators shall ensure compliance with this policy, including provision of the student assistance campus committees with the resources needed to carry out their responsibilities under this policy.

III.      DEFINITION

An impaired student is one who is unable to participate within the University community with requisite skill and safety.  This impairment may be due to substance and/or alcohol abuse or dependency, mental disorder, or other medical disorders.  Signs and symptoms of such impairment could include, but are not limited to, a pattern of the following:

·               unusual or inappropriate behavior

·               negative changes in academic performance

·               frequent or unexplained absences and/or tardiness from academic responsibilities

·               frequent or unexplained illnesses or accidents

·               conduct which may constitute violations of law, including citations for driving while impaired

·               significant inability to contend with routine difficulties and act to overcome them.

IV.     POLICY

Physical and mental disorders and alcohol and other drug abuse or dependencies are often treatable.  It is the policy of the University to assist impaired students (as defined above) in obtaining treatment, when such assistance does not adversely affect the University's ability to safeguard the public health and effectively discharge its missions.

This policy focuses on the behavior of the impaired student and its impact on the student and others, not on any underlying medical condition or disability.  If an impairment is caused by a disability, it shall be the student's obligation to comply with University policy, Individuals with Handicaps/Disabilities, 00-01-35-40:00 with regard to requests for accommodation.

Impairment of students due to substance abuse and other forms of mental and physical disorders adversely affects all aspects of the University's missions.  These disorders may impair learning and/or academic performance including the provision of patient care.  Conduct related to impairment may be sufficient grounds for disciplinary action, including dismissal, and may require immediate action to protect the health and safety of others.

Where an incident may involve a violation of Federal, state or local law, the Office of Legal Management may be consulted to determine whether there is an affirmative duty to report that violation or take other action.

Confidentiality of all referred and identified students and of individuals making referrals shall be maintained to the extent possible and permitted by law.

V.      PROCEDURES

A.      Each UMDNJ School shall develop its own student assistance policies and procedures incorporating all existing resources, including the Student Assistance Campus Committees (see below), to identify and, when appropriate, attempt to assist impaired students.  

B.       In order to supplement existing School resources, bring previously unidentified impaired students into treatment, and accomplish identification and treatment earlier in the course of these disorders when the prognosis for successful rehabilitation is likely to be better, the Schools shall establish Student Assistance Campus Committees which will have the following basic functions:

·               assessment of reports of impairment;

·               presentation of concerns to identified students;

·               referrals for diagnosis and treatment;

·               monitoring of impaired students until final disposition;

·               referral of students who are not cooperative or who are non-compliant to the appropriate School administrative office for possible disciplinary or other action.

Details of the functions, composition and procedures of these campus committees can be found in item E below.

The Student Assistance Campus Committees are only one of several options available to a School and its students for identifying impaired students and bringing them into treatment, and are meant to be utilized by Schools' Student Affairs administrators in concert with other resources and other appropriate procedures which may include disciplinary action and leaves of absence.

C.      Each School shall review its curricula to ensure that the topic of substance abuse/dependence is appropriately and adequately addressed.  The Student Assistance Campus Committees shall act as advocates for the inclusion of this topic in the curricula, and may make specific recommendations to the Deans.

D.      A summary of this policy and of the assistance available through the Student Assistance Campus Committees and other existing resources shall be incorporated into student handbooks, School catalogs and student orientation programs.

E.       A Student Assistance Campus Committee shall be established for each University Campus.

1.       Composition of the Student Assistance Campus Committees

The Dean(s) of the School(s) on each Campus shall appoint the members of the Campus Committees.  Members shall be faculty members and students from the Schools on each Campus.  One or more individuals with expertise in mental health and in addiction/substance abuse should be included on each committee.  The Schools on each Campus may decide to have separate subcommittees for each School or one committee serving one or more Schools.  Each committee shall name a Chair and establish its own procedures and meeting schedule.

2.       Functions of the Student Assistance Campus Committees

a.       Publicizing the Student Assistance Campus Committees

The committees shall annually publish and disseminate to faculty, students and pertinent administrators a statement summarizing the University's Impaired Students policy, including the names, locations and telephone numbers of the members of the campus committees to whom reports of potential impairment are to be made, and a description of other School and University resources for dealing with impairment.  The committees shall ensure that a statement regarding the Student Assistance Committee is incorporated into student handbooks, School catalogs and student orientation programs, and that Campus forums on substance abuse include reference to the Student Assistance Committee.

b.       Advocacy for Curricular Changes

The committees shall advocate the inclusion of the topic of substance abuse in the curricula and may propose specific recommendations to the Deans.

c.       Advocacy for Preventive Activities

The committees shall develop and recommend to the School and University administrations preventive activities aimed at students.

d.       Assessment of Reports of Impairment

Sources of referrals and reports concerning student impairment may include:

·               self-referral

·               other students and colleagues

·               parents, spouse, other family or household members

·               faculty and faculty committees on student affairs

·               Student Affairs administrators and other staff of the School

·               health professionals with knowledge of the student from other treatment programs, especially when the student has failed to follow or complete the previous program

·               patients

The committees are responsible for the preliminary assessment of the validity of reports and referrals made to them prior to presenting their concerns to the student.

The committees shall consider reports of behavior or incidents that may be indicative of impairment that occur both within as well as outside the University premises.

e.       Presentation of Concerns to Identified Students

Once the committee has concluded that there is a likelihood of impairment in a referred student, two members of the committee, one of which should be a student, shall be selected to privately present the committee's concerns to the student.  Where appropriate, individuals possessing first‑hand experience with the student's impaired behavior or status shall be asked to voluntarily take part in the presentation of concerns to the student.  Those members of the committee who will perform interventions should have received specialized training in handling such presentations (intervention training).  (If desired by a committee considering a referred medical student, the Physicians Health Program of the Medical Society of New Jersey may be asked to perform or assist in the intervention.)

Four possible outcomes of the initial presentation are:

i.                     The presenters conclude that based on additional information given to them by the student, there are no grounds for concluding that the student is impaired and that no intervention is required.

ii.             Further assessment and/or additional information is required.  This may include referral of the student for a clinical evaluation.  The cost, if any, of the initial evaluation for the purposes of determining the validity of reports of impairment shall be borne by the School if not covered by student health insurance.

iii.            The student is convinced of the need for help and assents to enroll in an appropriate treatment program; the presenters will begin the referral process for evaluation and treatment.

iv.            Treatment is indicated and the student resists help, either by refusing treatment or refusing evaluation to determine if treatment is necessary.  The presenters shall report back to the committee which shall convey the information concerning the student to the appropriate School Student Affairs administrator.  The Student Affairs administrator, after his/her own assessment of the available information, may make additional attempts to get the student into treatment or evaluated for the need for treatment.  If the Student Affairs administrator is convinced that the student is impaired and the student continues to refuse treatment or evaluation, then the Student Affairs administrator shall initiate the appropriate steps to discipline or dismiss the student from the institution in accordance with School and University policies and procedures.

f.        Referral for Evaluation, Diagnosis and Treatment

The committee shall refer students for clinical evaluation to those resources identified by the committee as appropriate.  Referred students will be allowed to choose an approved resource from among those identified by the committee or be able to suggest another resource that meets the committee's criteria.  A specially trained professional at the resource shall evaluate each referred student, make all diagnoses, and, if needed, recommend a treatment program which can be outpatient or inpatient.

If, after receiving the evaluation report, the committee sees the need for additional information or evaluation, or for a second opinion, the committee may refer the student to another resource.

When referring a student for clinical evaluation/treatment, the committee shall transmit to the provider information describing conduct by the student which suggests or indicates potential impairment.  When referring a student, the committee shall not transmit any individually identifiable health information or medical records directly to the provider except with the written authorization of the student.

Treatment, if indicated, may be conducted at the resource performing the evaluation or at an alternative resource selected by the student subject to committee approval.

g.       Monitoring of Impaired Students

The committee shall monitor the treatment and rehabilitation of referred impaired students as appropriate.  If a student is enrolled in a treatment program, the committee may delegate the monitoring function to the treatment program, and in that event, shall receive regular reports on the student's progress.  The student shall be required to permit the treatment provider to provide relevant information to the committee and to inform the committee if the student drops out of treatment, relapses or shows other evidence of deterioration liable to result in significant functional impairment.  Failure of the student to permit the treatment provider to provide relevant information may result in action by the School, including possible dismissal.

The committee shall determine in each case the appropriate duration of monitoring.  In making this determination, consideration should be given to the practice of the New Jersey State Medical Society's Physicians Health Program to monitor practitioners who are impaired due to substance abuse or other physical or mental disorders that may impact on the safe care of patients.  Monitoring may need to be maintained for an indefinite period, or until the student graduates.

A student on medical leave of absence because of an impairment that is being monitored by the committee should be considered for academic reinstatement by the School administration only after consultation with the committee.  The committee's recommendation in this regard will be based upon the current evaluation by the student's treatment provider(s) and upon any independent evaluation requested by the committee.

In appropriate instances based on the nature of the impairment and the risk that may exist for patient care, a graduating student shall be referred to the appropriate state assistance program according to the location of his/her postgraduate training or practice.  If the committee decides that a graduating student should be referred to a state program and the student refuses to give consent, the School Student Affairs administrator shall be informed prior to graduation and shall decide if this information should be a factor in the School's decision to award the degree. 

h.       Consultation with New Jersey State Assistance Programs

The committee shall maintain open communication with the Directors of the Physicians Health Program of the Medical Society of New Jersey, the Dental Association's Assistance Program and the Nurses Association's Nurse Assistance Program for exchange of information and advice and for consultation.  Assistance with intervention with referred students may be requested from these programs at the discretion of the committee.

i.        Submission of Annual Reports to the Deans and to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

The committees shall each submit an annual report to the respective Deans and to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.  These reports will summarize the activities of the committees (referring to individuals by case number only), report on the status of individuals under committee supervision or monitoring, and make recommendations for improving the role of the Student Assistance Campus Committees.  The committee chairpersons are responsible for the preparation and submission of the reports.

F.       Urine and/or blood testing for drugs

There shall be no mandatory, routine use of urine or blood testing for drugs.  However, where there is reason to believe that an impairment is the result of substance abuse and the student refuses to submit to drug testing, the University reserves the right to take disciplinary action or other action as may be deemed appropriate to protect the health and safety of patients, other students and employees.  Testing may be performed by the selected treatment program.  The committees may also recommend drug testing to a student to help rule out the existence of a substance abuse problem.  Drug testing may be required to verify a drug-free state during treatment and as part of the follow-up and monitoring after the conclusion of formal therapy.  

G.      Confidentiality

The Student Assistance Campus Committees shall make every effort to maintain the confidentiality of referred individuals to the extent possible and permitted by law.  Only case numbers rather than individuals' names shall be used during meetings and in records.  Files involving impaired students shall be stored under lock separately from academic records.  Inactive files and files of students who have graduated shall be sealed and stored separately.  If a student is referred to a state assistance program upon graduation, the appropriate files shall be transferred to that program, and a notation of the transfer kept at the University.

By Direction of the President:

_____________________________________
Vice President for Academic Affairs

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