Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Greg Walton, Professor of Psychology
Rethinking school responses to adolescent substance use
When students are caught using drugs at school, they're often defined by that mistake, which fuels stigma, disengagement, and further substance use. Through a field partnership with the Oakland Unified School District, Rhana is testing "More Than That," an intervention delivered after a student is caught using substances that invites teachers to see the student beyond their behavior — as who they truly are and who they want to become. Her research advances a model of teacher-student relationships she calls "Possibility Architects": educators who reflect back students' potential and support their becoming, especially during vulnerable moments. This summer, she's building on this work to design a professional development framework that equips teachers and administrators to respond to a substance use violation with a stance of relational accountability — holding high behavioral standards while also holding love. The goal is a more humane, more effective approach to school discipline.
Listen to a story Rhana told on stage as part of Testing Ground Live! about working with youth and adapting Lifting the Bar.