By: M. Dolores Cimini, PhD, University at Albany, SUNY

We know from the research literature on college student alcohol use that target populations such as first-year students, student-athletes, fraternity and sorority members, students mandated for alcohol policy violations, and students seeking health and counseling care for concerns unrelated to their alcohol use are often at highest risk for alcohol abuse and related negative consequences…and they are less likely to seek intervention for these issues.

We also know that the research literature and best practice guidelines state unequivocally that engaging students in screening and brief intervention addressing their alcohol use is associated with reductions in consumption and related consequences as well as the increased use of protective behaviors.

Since 2006, UAlbany’s STEPS Comprehensive Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention Program, based on the BASICS model and designed to meet the distinct and complex needs of different kinds of students, has been delivering personalized feedback on alcohol use to each student who participates.

Some examples:

• Student-athletes are screened after team meetings, receiving information on alcohol use and athletic performance in their feedback profiles.
• First-year students participate in online screening within the first month of college, followed by a brief intervention that focuses on alcohol use as it relates to college adjustment. 
  

We are currently collecting data on the newest arm of our STEPS program designed for our fraternity and sorority members; here, we are focusing on factors such as alcohol use and fraternity and sorority reputation as well as the role of alcohol use in fraternity and sorority rituals. 

In the same way that we have worked to engage our students in alcohol screening and brief intervention, we have learned that it’s important to engage stakeholders, including service providers, coaches, advisors, first-year experience staff members, and faculty members, in the planning process and keep them informed of successes and challenges. Our stakeholders often underestimate their role in making a screening and brief intervention program successful, and they are always quite surprised and impressed to learn of the impact they have on our students. 

By 2009, when the program received the ACHA Best Practices in College Health Award, the program had reached more than 13,000 students. Four years later, our efforts are continuing to work: with more than 21,000 students screened for alcohol use to date, we have seen statistically significant reductions in alcohol use and associated negative consequences across each target population. 

Perhaps even more importantly, our students are providing positive feedback on the interventions. They appreciate how easily they can access and resonate with the issues that are on their minds.

For several years, ACHA has offered Pre-Conference Workshops on the first day of the Annual Meeting. Our general sessions are designed to meet a wider range of needs among our attendees – something for everyone, if you will, or at least everyone in a certain discipline. The workshops, however, are tailored to meet a more specialized need and give participants a chance to hone their skills in a more hands-on approach. 

Pre-conference workshops go beyond the lecture format and even the question-and-answer make-up of many sessions. There is an emphasis on interactivity as well as intense discussions, enabling attendees to really get at the meat of the matter and develop the specific competencies they need in their discipline. 

In the workshops, you won’t just learn how to do something – you’ll get to practice or discuss it before you take it home to your campus. What better way to be able to share your newly-acquired knowledge with colleagues who couldn't attend the Annual Meeting? 

You’ll get a crash course in effective leadership in the boot camps for health/counseling center and health promotion directors; you’ll practice some of the evidence-based approaches to enhancing students’ resilience to stress and trauma triggers; you’ll delve deep into examining best practices in prescribing contraceptives. These are just a few of the exciting topics being covered in the pre-conference workshops.

Visit the 2014 Annual Meeting site to see the full list of workshops and CE credits available.

Each workshop is three hours long and will take place on Tuesday, May 27 at either 9:00 am - 12:00 pm or 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm. You must pre-register and purchase a ticket ($50 per workshop) to attend the workshops. If you have already registered for the meeting and want to add a workshop, simply go back into the registration site, use the login information you used when you registered, and add the ticket. You can do this any time until May 9; after May 9, you can purchase tickets onsite if they are still available. Please note that the workshops sell out quickly, so reserve your spot today!