Close Up
Daun-Barnett helps UB ‘breathe free’
Sharlynn Daun-Barnett is in the thick of the UBreatheFree campaign. The gadgets she holds offer those looking to quit something to do with their hands besides hold a cigarette. Photo: NANCY J. PARISI
When Sharlynn Daun-Barnett came to UB’s Wellness Education Services in the summer of 2008, it was her experience with alcohol and other drug prevention that was of particular interest. Tobacco, however, quickly began to dominate her efforts when UB announced a few months after her arrival it would become a smoke-free campus.
Now, the alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention specialist is kicking butt big time with a slew of programs and workshops under the UBreatheFree banner aimed at educating and helping faculty, staff and students through support of a smoke-free campus and tobacco cessation.
With the smoke-free policy currently in the middle of its first year, UBreatheFree is ramping up its efforts and Daun-Barnett is in the thick of it, beginning with the “Kickin’ Butt at UB” smoke-free celebration from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. next Tuesday in the Student Union lobby, complete with food, prizes, kickin’ entertainment (dancing, martial arts) and resources for those who want to kick the habit.
Activities for the spring semester include a support group for faculty, staff and students, and a “Quit Coach” program in collaboration with the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences that offers individual support for smokers looking to quit. (See complete program details at www.hr.buffalo.edu/ubreathefree.)
As the first residential SUNY campus to go 100 percent smoke-free, UB’s programs are becoming a model, according to Daun-Barnett, who says that members of the UBreatheFree committee are receiving calls and hosting meetings with people from other institutions throughout the state who want to establish a similar policy. She notes the big change since the policy was instituted here last August. “Now you can walk out of a door and not get a puff of smoke in your face. Slowly it’s creating a culture as we work together to respect each other and the environment at UB.”
Generally, Wellness Education Services specifically targets students with its programming, but these programs aimed at smokers—offered in conjunction with University Human Resources—are open to all members of the university community. “Our last workshop in the fall was attended by half students and half staff,” says Daun-Barnett. “The intergenerational aspect was very eye-opening. There was a man who had smoked for 30 years and he had cancer and was still struggling with quitting. There was a woman who was having breathing problems—didn’t really want to quit but knew she should. For students who don’t necessarily want to quit but know they should, just to see someone who is 10 or 20 years older than you who is still struggling (leaves an impression).”
Daun-Barnett, who has never smoked, is trained in behavior change and counseling skills. Prior to joining UB, she worked for a health promotion company in Michigan that helped staff the state’s Tobacco Quit Line and also has worked for corporate clients like Ford, IBM and Pfizer, and other health plans. “I’ve used my experience there to try to create programs like the Quit Coach, adapted to the college environment.”
In her Wellness Education role, she regularly works with a program called UB Safer, which is aimed primarily at those abusing alcohol and using marijuana. Students who violate these policies on campus can be sent to this class through the Student Wide Judiciary.
“With a class like UB Safer, our goal is to create behavior change in the mid-to-high-risk population,” explains Daun-Barnett. “We have an open-door policy where people can come in, whether they’ve been referred or not. They say, ‘I heard I can talk to you about drinking because I keep having these blackouts. Or, marijuana can really affect your memory, so I’m really having a hard time remembering stuff. What do I do?’”
She does individual consultation focused on substance use. If more comprehensive counseling is needed, students would be referred to Counseling Services or into the community for rehabilitation services.
“For most students, it’s just a one-time visit,” she says. “They may send a friend. As for the smoking cessation, a lot of people have come in and said, ‘We heard you were pretty cool. So what do I do to quit?’”
Raised near Milwaukee—a place, she chuckles, known for its breweries—Daun-Barnett was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where she pursued a degree in psychology, and then earned a master’s degree in social work at UW-Milwaukee with a focus on physical health. While a student, she was involved with education and support services for sexual assault and sexual abuse. “Alcohol was a big factor in that,” she recalls. In fact, a harrowing night spent in a hospital with her college roommate who was suffering from alcohol poisoning left a big impression on Daun-Barnett.
After graduation, she worked as women’s issues director for the state of Wisconsin’s student association, traveling among the 24 campuses consulting on relationship violence and sexual assault. She met her husband, Nathan, at a national sexual assault conference in Minnesota.
After several higher education stopovers, they both arrived at UB in 2008. He, a UB alumnus, is assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy in the Graduate School of Education. They live in East Amherst with their children, Valerie, 4, and Cameron, 2, and attend many of the UB men’s basketball games as a family since Nathan’s younger brother, David, a School of Management student, is on the team.
Embracing her new life here, Daun-Barnett feels equally passionate about her role at UB. “There’s strength in how people cope with their challenges,” she says. “I like to help people find their strength and not focus so much on the weakness.”
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