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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced the award of 12 grants totaling $15.5 million over three years to combat underage drinking and drug abuse by promoting innovative screening, brief interventions and referral to treatment of college and university students with a high risk of substance use disorders.
These 12 Targeted Capacity Expansion Campus Screening and Brief Intervention grants are designed to expand existing campus-based medical services by integrating into student health programs both screening for substance abuse and brief interventions to motivate students to take actions needed to end alcohol or drug abuse.
Substance abuse is a well-documented problem on college and university campuses. The new grants will assist colleges and universities with their efforts to reduce the health and social consequences of substance abuse. The colleges and universities are expected to screen and refer students in need to appropriate treatment, utilizing either university or community-based providers.
“A person’s life is shaped in late adolescence and early adulthood. Drug and alcohol abuse can seriously derail an individual’s emotional and social growth,” SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie said. “College and university health service centers provide an ideal setting to identify and intervene early with students who are abusing drugs or alcohol. Brief and early intervention can help keep students on track towards healthy and productive lives.”
This year’s Targeted Capacity Expansion Campus Screening and Brief Intervention
Grantees and award amounts are as follows:
Arizona
- Arizona Board of Regents University of Arizona, Tucson --$493,224 per year for three years to use brief intervention and referral services to combat underage hazardous drinking and substance use, and enhance capacity to provide treatment for hazardous drinking and substance use disorders among university students.
California
- UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Program, Los Angeles --$500,000 per year for three years to develop and implement screening and brief intervention services for students engaging in high-risk use of alcohol and illicit drugs. Over the course of the three years Student Psychological Services will screen a minimum of 3,000 students per year and conduct brief interventions with 300 students per year.
Connecticut
- University of Hartford, West Hartford --$364,064 per year for three years to provide substance abuse intervention to University of Hartford students in collaboration with Connecticut Renaissance Inc., with an emphasis on alcohol. At least 900 student clients will be served over the three years.
Delaware
- University of Delaware Center for Counseling, Newark –$403,297 per year for three years to increase the receptivity of students to information about alcohol and drug risks; expand treatment options on the campus through timely and effective assessments; and coordinate with nearby off-campus treatment options to provide more intensive treatment for students who are deemed in need.
Hawaii
- University of Hawaii at Manoa University Health Services, Honolulu --$142,364 per year for three years to use evidence-based practices to provide on-campus health service identification and brief interventions for students with or at high risk of substance use disorders. The goals for the three year project includes the identification and referral of at least 640 students from the medical clinic and 240 from other groups, and provision of brief intervention for at least 354 students.
Massachusetts
- University Health Services, University of Massachusetts, Amherst --$473,789 per year for three years to target students between 18 and 24 years of age who are charged with violating certain campus alcohol policies or identified through referrals from health care providers, campus and town police, or housing supervisors. The anticipated program enrollment is 1,000 students per year.
- Northeastern University, Boston --$500,000 per year for three years to enhance and expand current efforts to reduce student alcohol and drug abuse through a comprehensive framework of evidence-based strategies targeting the overall student population through social marketing techniques, screening and intervention, and improved referral linkage to community treatment providers.
- Bristol Community College, Fall River --$500,000 per year for three years for a program that will provide a new and critical channel for substance abuse treatment resources to reach residents within a region where economic, cultural and educational barriers contribute to much higher patterns of addiction than in other parts of the state. In concert with collaborative partner Stanley Street Treatment and Resources, the program is expected to annually serve 21,304 college-aged adolescents and adults.
New Mexico
- New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas -- $500,000 per year for three years to integrate the New Mexico program of screening, brief intervention, referral and treatment services with comprehensive education, outreach and prevention activities as part of the university’s student health program.
New York
- Research Foundation of SUNY, State University of New York at Albany --$465,403 per year for three years to reduce student alcohol use and reduce the negative consequences that result from excessive use.
Texas
- University of Texas at El Paso Department of Health Promotion --$451,500 per year for three years to reduce heavy binge drinking and its related negative consequences among students. Students will participate in an intervention program designed to enhance their cognitive and behavioral capacity for resisting social and environmental pressures to engage in heavy binge drinking.
Tennessee
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville-- $381,310, per year for three years to enhance and expand treatment services to undergraduate students in Knoxville at risk for the consequences of substance use and abuse. These outreach efforts will provide a computer-based screening and intervention program serving approximately 29,000 students during the three years of funding. It is expected that approximately 2,900 students will access enhanced treatment services.
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