Undergraduate Senators heard updates about a new safety app, SafeZone Mobile, and programming from Cardinal Recovery, the University’s recovery program for those struggling with addiction during their Nov. 17 meeting.
SafeZone Mobile was created by CriticalArc, a company that develops solutions “to strengthen and streamline their [an organization’s] response to threats and incidents,” according to their website. Stanford’s Department for Public Safety (SUDPS) is introducing the service after the Senate passed a resolution calling for more sexual violence reduction measures.
Vince Bergado, a SUDPS advisor, said they hope to launch the application by the end of this quarter. He described the app as “a blue tower you carry in your pocket,” which can be used in emergency situations to call for medical, fire or police assistance.
The main characteristic of the app is a 911 button that students can click to share their location with SUDPS. If people are in extreme danger, and are unable to speak when they press the 911 button, responders can still see the location and provide assistance.
Users’ location information is not always active, Bergado said. According to Bergado, the only instance when SUDPS can view a user’s location is when a call through 911 is activated. Once location is activated, responders receive a detailed view of the caller’s location. If wifi is not available to the caller, they are still able to reach the responders via cellular data.
Senators heard updates from Corey Lamb ’22, who works with Cardinal Recovery, Stanford’s recovery program for those struggling with addictions. Lamb said Cardinal Recovery provides a safe space for undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni to talk about addiction, recovery, therapy and mental health five days a week in the Well House.
“We have a lot of overlap between mental health and recovery in our meetings,” Lamb said.
According to Lamb, around fifty people attend a meeting every week. Cardinal Recovery also hosts substance free events, including hiking, bowling and recently, a sober tailgate.
Lamb told UGS that the program is in need of more funding to keep dedicated, full-time staff members. He asked for support from the ASSU. “We have to have dedicated staff… As far as collegiate recovery programs go, we are small,” Lamb said.
Lamb also said that due to Stanford’s distance from a city environment, students may lack access to other resources nearby for help in the recovery process. Students may struggle to secure substance-free housing due to limited capacity beyond the Well House. Lamb called for increased funding for recovery spaces, including potentially adding a trailer behind the Well House.
The University provided Cardinal Recovery with two years of funding, and they are in the last year of that funding, Lamb said. To implement sanctuaries for recovery and recruit new staff members, the program needs more funding, Lamb said.
Senators expressed their support for the Cardinal Recovery program and said that they will explore their ability to implement additional space.
Aden Beyene ’24 and Amira Dehmani ’24, Senate co-chairs, and Darryl Thompson ’23, ASSU Executive President, also shared that the 2023-2024 school year will begin on a Tuesday instead of a Monday next year, in order to allow students to observe Jewish holidays. The start of the autumn quarter coincided with Rosh Hashanah this year.
This article has been updated to reflect the accurate description of the support and staffing Cardinal Recovery provides.