Coalition of Higher Education Associations for Substance Misuse Prevention

Professionals meeting

Faith DeNardoCoalition of Higher Education Associations for Substance Misuse Prevention

-Faith DeNardo, Ph.D.

I am taking this opportunity as newly elected Chair to introduce and re-introduce the Coalition of Higher Education Associations for Substance Misuse Prevention (CoHEASAP) to the field. With many new professionals entering the field and with so much happening in the past several years with those who have remained in the field, CoHEASAP may be completely new, or people may have forgotten about it.

Since 1983, the Inter-Association Task Force on Alcohol and Other Substance Misuse Issues has operated as an independent coalition of vital higher education-focused associations who collaborate on issues relating to substance misuse prevention efforts and health promotion within the higher education community. Task Force members communicate on key areas of research and programming efforts for student alcohol and other substance misuse issues and serve as advocates for responsible corporate marketing and sound campus policies. In May of 2011, the Task Force agreed to change its name to CoHEASAP–Coalition of Higher Education Associations for Substance Abuse Prevention.  In January 2024, the coalition updated its name to CoHEASAP –Coalition of Higher Education Associations for Substance Misuse Prevention.

During the pandemic, CoHEASAP took a hiatus from operations as many organizations worked through challenges. We were very excited to resume operations in January 2024 and welcome higher education associations back. Membership in CoHEASAP is open by invitation to any higher education association or nonprofit organization serving the student affairs or broader higher education communities. There are currently eight member organizations of CoHEASAP and we welcome more to join in our efforts.

CoHEASAP’s mission is to assist the higher education community to minimize substance misuse among college students to promote student success. With this mission in mind, this year, CoHEASAP has focused on providing education to its members around substance misuse. In our January meeting, Dr. Jason Kilmer spoke with the group about Prevention & Substance Use Concerns on College Campuses. In June, we hosted an educational session from one of our association members, the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Lydia Bell, Director of Research and Policy and Carey Wheelhouse, Director of Health Promotion, Sport Science Institute, shared findings from NCAA’s 2023 Health and Wellness Survey, which include student-athlete mental health and substance use data. They also shared a review of NCAA-wide resources related to student-athlete mental health, substance misuse prevention, and well-being. CoHEASAP’s next educational session will be this fall and will highlight the most recent findings of the 2024 College Drug and Alcohol Survey.

CoHEASAP is energized and has new momentum. I encourage those in the field to connect with their respective associations to see if they are members of CoHEASAP and if so, talk with their representatives about CoHEASAP. If your respective association is not a member and is interested in becoming one, I encourage you to reach out to me, and I can get you information on CoHEASAP membership. We are looking for new ideas and perspectives as we revitalize the coalition.

I personally am very excited for this new chapter of CoHEASAP. The work that our higher education associations do on substance misuse prevention is invaluable. CoHEASAP is committed to assisting associations in their efforts to minimize substance misuse and promote student success.

Faith DeNardo, Ph.D., CHES serves as current Chair and ACHA Liaison to the Coalition of Higher Education Associations for Substance Misuse Prevention, and Director of the Office of Health and Wellness and Deputy Title IX Coordinator at Bowling Green State University. Faith has her Ph.D. in Health Education from The University of Toledo and has been working in the field of college health for 17 years. She is published in several journals, including the Journal of American College Health, Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, Journal of Community Health, Journal of School Health, and Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.