Medical Amnesty Policy

MEDICAL AMNESTY POLICY

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

  1. The health and safety of students are of primary importance to Muhlenberg College and those around them.
  2. Students are encouraged not only to look out for their own health and safety, but also for the health and safety of their peers.
  3. It is imperative that someone calls for medical assistance when an individual experiences intoxication or injury after consuming alcohol and/or other drugs (AOD).
  4. When a student's health and safety are threatened or appear to be in jeopardy, immediate action should be taken to prevent injury/illness/danger.
  5. Students are encouraged to seek help, even though students may be reluctant to seek help in AOD-related emergencies because of anticipated consequences for themselves and for the person in need of assistance.
  6. Muhlenberg College seeks to reduce any barriers that may jeopardize a student’s health and safety. The “Muhlenberg College Medical Amnesty Policy” represents the College's commitment to increasing the likelihood that students will call for medical assistance when faced with an AOD-related medical emergency.

POLICY 

  1. A student who seeks emergency medical assistance related to their consumption of alcohol and/or drugs will initially be charged with violation(s) of the College’s Student Alcohol Policy and/or Drug Use and Controlled Substance Policy. However, in lieu of disciplinary sanctions, parent(s)/guardian(s) will be copied on the student’s outcome letter and the student will be required to complete the following: an online personalized prevention intervention program which the student will then be required to review with a licensed professional (If indicated, a referral for additional assessment and/or treatment may be made); additionally, the student will view an educational video which was created by the College’s Director of Counseling Services. After viewing this video, the student will respond to prompts which aim to allow the student to further explore their thoughts on the subject of alcohol consumption. If the aforementioned requirements are successfully completed, the student will not have this incident recorded in their student record file. Failure to complete the prescribed course of action may result in the imposition of sanctions under the College’s Student Code of Conduct and an additional Parental Notification will occur due to the student’s failure to comply with the aforementioned requirements.
  2. Students who assist in obtaining emergency medical assistance on behalf of a fellow student experiencing an AOD-related medical emergency and themselves under the influence of AOD, shall not be charged with violations of the College’s Student Alcohol Policy and/or Drug Use and Controlled Substance Policy.
  3. In circumstances where a student group is found to be hosting an event where medical assistance is sought for an intoxicated guest, the student group (depending upon the circumstances) may be held responsible for violations of the Student Alcohol Policy and/or Drug Use and Controlled Substance Policy. However, the student group’s willingness to seek medical assistance for a member or guest will be viewed as a mitigating factor in determining responsibility and sanctions.
  4. The Medical Amnesty Policy does not preclude disciplinary sanctions due to any other violations of the Student Code of Conduct (not related to alcohol and/or other drugs).
  5. The Medical Amnesty Policy does not prevent action by police or other law enforcement personnel. The College cannot guarantee that criminal charges and/or financial obligation for medical intervention will not be brought against the student if Allentown Police and/or EMS are required for assistance during the incident.
  6. In cases in which a student is transported to the hospital for an AOD-related medical emergency and is unconscious or otherwise in serious physical jeopardy, emergency contact or parental notification by College officials may occur as a precautionary measure without the students’ consent.
  7. This Policy applies only to students who seek emergency medical assistance for themselves or a fellow student in connection with an AOD-related medical emergency. It does not apply to individuals experiencing an AOD-related medical emergency who are found by College employees (e.g., Campus Police, College Administrators, etc.).
  8. This Policy does not excuse or protect those individuals who repeatedly violate or abuse the College’s Student Alcohol Policy and/or Drug Use and Controlled Substance Policy. In cases where repetitive violations occur, appropriate action under the College’s Student Code of Conduct will be taken on a case-by-case basis.

PROCEDURE Information about the time and location of the AOD-related medical emergency will be recorded to enable any necessary follow-up in order to address issues of health and safety, vandalism, or chronic abuse of the Student Alcohol Policy and/or Drug Use and Controlled Substance Policy.

Rev. 9/20/2021

Muhlenberg College Medical Amnesty Policy

Muhlenberg College seeks to reduce barriers that may jeopardize a student’s health and safety or discourage students from helping individuals experiencing a mental health or medical emergency and/or intoxication or injury after consuming alcohol and/or other drugs (AOD). The health and safety of students are of primary importance to Muhlenberg College and those around them. Students are encouraged not only to look out for their own health and safety but also for the health and safety of their peers. This “Muhlenberg College Medical Amnesty Policy” demonstrates the College’s commitment to increasing the likelihood that students will seek medical help when they themselves or are confronted with an individual experiencing a mental health or medical emergency and/or intoxication or injury after consuming AOD or when AOD is present.

Students are encouraged to seek help for individuals experiencing a mental health or medical emergency and/or intoxication or injury after consuming AOD, even though they may be reluctant to seek help because of anticipated consequences for themselves and the person in need of assistance. It is imperative that someone calls for medical assistance when an individual experiences a mental health or medical emergency and/or intoxication or injury after consuming AOD to prevent injury, illness, and/or danger.

DEFINITIONS

  1. A “mental health or medical emergency” is when an individual has a reasonable belief that another individual is in need of immediate medical attention to prevent death or serious bodily injury.

  2. “Emergency medical personnel” refers to a 911 operator, Muhlenberg College Campus Safety personnel, or local police or emergency services.

POLICY

  1. A student who seeks emergency medical assistance related to their consumption of alcohol and/or drugs will initially be charged with violation(s) of the College’s Student Alcohol Policy and/or Drug Use and Controlled Substance Policy. However, instead of disciplinary sanctions, parent(s)/guardian(s) will be copied on the student’s outcome letter, and the student will be required to complete the following:

    • An online personalized prevention intervention program which the student will then be required to review with a licensed professional. If necessary, a recommendation for additional examination and/or therapy may be made; and

    • The student will view an educational video created by the College’s Director of Counseling Services. After viewing this video, the student will respond to prompts that aim to allow the student to further explore their thoughts on the subject of alcohol consumption.

Once the aforementioned requirements are successfully completed, the student will not have the incident recorded in their student record file. Failure to complete the prescribed course of action may result in the imposition of sanctions under the College’s Student Code of Conduct, and an additional parental notification will occur due to the student’s failure to comply with the requirements above.

  1. Students under the influence of AOD or otherwise violating the College’s Student Code of Conduct or Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Policy (“EO Policy”) at the time the student assists in obtaining emergency medical assistance on behalf of a fellow student experiencing a mental health or medical emergency and/or an AOD-related medical emergency or when AOD is present, shall not be charged with violations of those policies except in extenuating circumstances.
  2. In circumstances where a student group is found to be hosting an event where medical assistance is sought for a student experiencing a mental health or medical emergency and/or and AOD-related medical emergency, the student group may be held responsible for violations of the Student Alcohol Policy and/or Drug Use and Controlled Substance Policy, the Student Code of Conduct and/or EO Policy. However, the student group’s willingness to seek medical assistance for a member or guest will be viewed as a mitigating factor in determining sanctions.
  3. This Policy does not prevent action by police or other law enforcement personnel. The College cannot guarantee that criminal charges and/or financial obligations for medical intervention will not be brought against the student if Allentown Police and/or EMS are required for assistance during the incident.
  4. In cases where a student is transported to the hospital for a mental health or medical emergency and/or an AOD-related medical emergency and is unconscious or otherwise in serious physical jeopardy, emergency contact or parental notification by College officials may occur as a precautionary measure without the student’s consent.
  5. This Policy applies only to students who seek emergency medical assistance for themselves or a fellow student in connection with a student mental health or medical emergency and/or an AOD-related medical emergency. It does not apply to individuals experiencing an AOD-related medical emergency who are found by College employees (e.g., Campus Police, College Administrators, etc.) or Allentown Police.
  6. This Policy does not excuse or protect those individuals who repeatedly violate or abuse the College’s Student Alcohol Policy and/or Drug Use and Controlled Substance Policy, Student Code of Conduct and/or EO Policy. In cases where repetitive violations occur, appropriate action will be taken on a case-by-case basis.
  7. Information about the time and location of a mental health or medical emergency and/or an AOD-related medical emergency will be recorded to enable any necessary follow-up in order to address issues of health and safety, vandalism, or chronic abuse of the Student Alcohol Policy and/or Drug Use and Controlled Substance Policy.
Last Revised: 08/31/2023