A Critical Discussion Led by Jana Wu, LCSW, LADC, ICADC
As kratom-related admissions surge nationwide, with Mountainside Treatment Center reporting a striking 169% increase this year alone, higher education professionals face an urgent need to understand this unregulated substance that’s as accessible as gum or energy drinks at local gas stations and bodegas.
Jana Wu, Director of Clinical Integration at Mountainside Treatment Center, is one of the nation’s leading experts on kratom use disorder. Having studied the substance for years and led weekly virtual support groups for individuals struggling with kratom dependence, Jana brings unparalleled clinical insight to this emerging crisis on college campuses.
This essential session will cover:
- What Kratom Really Is: Understanding the substance, its origins in Southeast Asia, and how its compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), interact with opioid receptors to produce both stimulant and sedative effect
- The Accessibility Crisis: Why kratom’s widespread availability in convenience stores, gas stations, and online retailers (with zero regulation) makes it a particularly concerning substance for college-aged populations
- The High and the Risk: What students experience when using kratom, and why many assume it’s a “safe, natural alternative to opioids” when detoxing can be just as complex
- Rising Admission Trends: What Mountainside’s increasing kratom detox admissions reveal about changing patterns of use, particularly the more severe withdrawal symptoms associated with 7-OH products
- Supporting Students in Crisis: Evidence-based approaches for supporting students struggling with kratom use disorder, including medication-assisted treatment options, behavioral interventions, and the unique challenges of addressing a substance many don’t recognize as problematic
As Jana shared in her recent interview with iHeart Radio’s Sonstein Sessions, kratom presents unique challenges because “people think, oh, they’re not hard drugs… How come everyone else can use this and I can’t. And there becomes a lot of shame in that.” This session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to have informed, compassionate conversations with students before kratom use becomes a crisis.
With limited clinical research and growing concerns from the FDA and CDC about kratom’s unregulated status, this is time-sensitive information every recovery professional and student affairs administrator needs right now.
The Compassionate Care Strategies Series will continue for the 2025-2026 academic year on the second Thursday of every month at 12pm ET / 11am CT / 10am MT / 9am PT.