Sarah Barnes Diaz, M.S.W., coordinator for Health Education and Outreach Programs at Butler, has been appointed the Indiana state coordinator for The BACCHUS Peer Education Network™.
The BACCHUS Network promotes university- and community-based health and safety initiatives for students and young adults, covering the use of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs; unhealthy sexual practices and other high-risk behaviors.
Barnes Diaz will help connect Indiana’s 14 affiliate BACCHUS chapters to the national office and to network resources, including campaigns, scholarship and award opportunities, regional and national conferences grant opportunities, state law and policy changes, and articles.
Butler’s BACCHUS-affiliated peer education group PAWS — Peers Advocating Wellness for Students — has 29 active student members. In March, some members will present details of the BU Be Well model at the BACCHUS regional conference in Berea, Ohio.
BU Be Well outlines seven dimensions of wellness, or areas of healthy life choices, that reflect the values of the Butler University community. Members of the Division of Student Affairs and other campus partners use BU Be Well as a guide for their work and plan student programming around the topics, Barnes Diaz said.
“The idea is that, by the time students graduate from Butler, they will have incorporated these dimensions of wellness in their lives,” and will continue to be guided by them, she said.
With Butler for five and a half years, Barnes Diaz advises PAWS and GEAR (Greek Educators, Advocates and Resources). She also oversees the campus’ sexual assault prevention programming and the Victim Advocate Program for survivors of interpersonal violence.
