ABOUT HARVARD UNIVERSITY – OFFICE OF ALCOHOL & OTHER DRUG SERVICES
Located on the campus of Harvard University, the Office of Alcohol & Other Drug Services (AODS) is a unit within the college’s Department of Health Promotion & Education. It provides students with a safe-haven for abstinence, as well as addiction prevention, education, support groups, and intervention.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Students who seek help at Harvard’s AODS are provided with a confidential environment where addiction issues can be freely discussed. The goal of the AODS program is to help clients find the resources that they need to avoid drug use. By working with groups within the university, AODS is determined to change the culture so that students are not overexposed to drugs and alcohol.
The Office holds weekly support groups that cover a range of topics including coping skills and general recovery. According to the program’s website, there is no time requirement for length of abstinence, just a desire to remain free of substances.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The staff at AODS consists of a director, an administrative assistant, and a specialized health educator with experience in prevention services. The facility also partners with outside groups like Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and other parts of the university when appropriate. Volunteers may also be involved in community-based programs within the university. The sole AODS participant surveyed by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing gave the facility five out of five stars for its staff’s level of training and experience.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The one AODS participant polled by Best-rehabs.com to date gave the program a positive review, awarding it five out of five stars for available counseling options and discharge planning, as well as four stars for its ability to address co-occurring disorders, family participation, and the likelihood they’d recommend the facility to others. “Personal plan and treating me like a real person,” the alum wrote.
FINANCING
All of the groups and related services provided by AODS are free of charge to Harvard students. The program also partners with Blue Cross/Blue Shield to provide insurance services for students where applicable.