Thinking about starting a BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students) Program or implementing SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment)? Do you need a professional, fun and engaging presentation or training? Then you have come to the right page for assistance.
I specialize in helping institutions and staff think through implementation steps to build a solid infrastructure for a sustainable program. I provide lively and practical key stakeholder and staff trainings and presentations. Click to view a list of trainings and presentations.
I have almost 2 decades of implementing and sustaining a BASICS program at a large university. It has been an honor to be invited to assist many schools nation wide in implementing their own programs. I have facilitated countless presentations and trainings to various audiences. I am professional, authentic, engaging, lively and adaptable to your needs
I look forward to hearing about what you are currently doing and/or thinking about. What is working and what isn't and where you would like to go. How can I assist you and your team in getting there?
Contact me and we can talk through your needs and see if I am the right consultant, presenter or trainer for you and your group.
Interested in hearing some of my thoughts on BASICS and supporting college students with a substance use disorder? Check out my “Take Five” pod cast segment or “View from the Field” featured on Campus Drug Prevention.
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What is SBIRT?
Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is a comprehensive, integrated, public health approach to the delivery of early intervention and treatment services for people engaging in risky substance use and those with an alcohol use or other substance use disorder (SUDs). It is an evidence-based practice used to identify, reduce and prevent problematic use, abuse and dependence on alcohol and other drugs.
The Three Components of SBIRT
Screening: Quickly assess the severity of substance use.
Brief Intervention: Increases a persons awareness of substance use and encourages behavior change.
Referral to Treatment: Offers the appropriate level of care for those in need.
In other words: Ask questions, facilitate a conversation and provide resources.
Where does SBIRT take place?
Primary care centers, hospitals, emergency departments, college campuses, schools and other community settings provide ideal opportunities for early interventions with at- risk substance users before more severe consequences occur.
What is BASICS?
Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) is an SBIRT program developed at the University of Washington by Dr. Alan Marlatt and team, as a prevention and intervention program for college students who drink heavily and have experienced or are at risk for alcohol-related consequences. It is a harm reduction approach aimed at motivating students to reduce alcohol use in order to decrease the negative affects of drinking.
This empathetic, non-confrontational and non-judgmental harm reduction approach is based on the principles of Motivational Interviewing (MI). The aim is to reduce alcohol consumption and its adverse consequences, promote healthier choices and to provide important information and coping skills for risk reduction.
While BASICS was originally designed to help college students modify or reduce their alcohol use, it has been expanded to include other drugs including cannabis.
BASICS is listed on the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices and is considered the gold standard intervention in college alcohol and other drug prevention programs.
What is Motivational Interviewing? According to the developers William Miller and Stephen Rollnick, “Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a directive, person-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change by helping people to explore and resolve ambivalence“ (2003). It is a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person’s own motivation and commitment to change.