Best practice
California State University is one of the colleges that have recorded the highest rates of mental health problems and high alcohol consumption rates as well. In the current world, or rather in the era that we are in, learning is not the only activity that takes place in colleges around the globe and particularly in the United States. Students are busy engaging in other non-academic social issues such as alcohol consumption and partying instead of studying. Apparently, California State University is actually the best fit or the best example of a college in which mental health problems and alcohol consumption among the students have wreaked havoc not only to the students but also on the entire community. Therefore, the school management, in its bid to address this issue, has rolled out best practices to contain and curb this ordeal going forward.
Mental health problems such as depression are believed to have a positive relationship with alcohol consumption, and therefore California State University came up with a practice that that aimed at addressing both the mental health and alcohol issues. The best practice that was employed by California University was the introduction of the “whole-school approach” to alcohol. In this case, however, students were introduced to a “whole-school approach” to alcohol in line with Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations Guidance. Most notably, this approach aimed at involving all the stakeholders such as parents, students’ teachers, and community, for example, on everything pertaining to alcohol consumption at California University. From mental health problems as a result of excessive drinking to deaths and poor academic results, this practice aimed at keeping everyone abreast of all the consequences of alcohol consumption. Moreover, the practice covered various aspects starting from the policy development all the way to the school environment community and professional development as well. In a nutshell, the whole school practice definitely indebts or rather makes alcohol education an integral part of the university curricula.
According to a research study done by the University of California in 2018 to ascertain whether the practice helped in curbing mental health problems as well as alcohol consumption, the results were that after the practice was administered, there was a relative decrease in both mental illness and alcoholism. The researched study involving 200 participants, obviously students, proved that after the practice was rolled out, a considerable proportion of 48% had reduced or abstained from alcohol consumption, and this was also followed by a corresponding decrease in mental illnesses by 35%. This study, therefore, gives a perfect insight into how the approach provided a turnaround in mental illness cases, not to mention the reduction in alcohol consumption rates. Berends, Bodilly and Kirby, (2019) on the other hand expanding upon their research study argued that the whole school approach that was incorporated in most of the University schools in the US most importantly to complement the fight against alcoholism and mental illness have proved to be a fundamental tool as it has relatively reduced the alcohol consumption rate by 25% as of 2019.
The best practice aimed at bringing everyone on board in the fight against alcoholism and mental illness in colleges and for the Miami community they are far from integrating the issue in a bid to bring a harmonious solution. The main external factors that hinder the Miami community from achieving this objective are; one is that since Miami has got the highest income inequality, and this directly affects their move to implement this practice. In conclusion, high insecurity in the area has also proved to be a significant factor that has derailed the implementation of such practices. It is believed that the two major factors have hugely affected the Miami community for being directly involved in many aspects, such as the implementation of various projects or approaches, as in the case of the whole school-approach at California University.
References
Berends, M., Bodilly, S. J., & Kirby, S. N. (2019). Facing the challenges of whole-school reform: New American Schools after a decade. Rand Corporation.