University of Texas at El Paso

Program Description

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), is funding the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) $451,500 per year for 3 years to reduce binge/heavy drinking and its related negative consequences among students ages 18 to 24.

Campus Description

UTEP is a public institution that shares a common border with Cd. Juarez, Mexico and has a student body of over 18,500 undergraduates. A 2004 study found that 71 percent of UTEP students (largely freshmen and sophomores) consume alcohol and 46 percent reported binge drinking in the 2 weeks prior to the survey. In addition, UTEP's proximity to Mexico, which has a legal drinking age of 18, places students at a high risk of binge drinking and drinking and driving.

Program Model

Screening

Screening is conducted through self-report questionnaires distributed in UTEP's introductory course, UNIV 1301 (mandatory for all incoming freshmen), other core curriculum courses, Miner Village (on-campus housing), Greek Life organizations, athletic programs, and direct referrals from the Dean of Students office.

Screening instruments include Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Conjoint Screening Test for Alcoholism (CAGE), the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST), and the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI).

Brief Intervention

Students complete an assessment interview and are also assessed using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Symptom Checklist 90-R (SCL-90-R), the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-20), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).

Two group leaders/facilitators conduct both sessions of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) in a small group setting (10 to 12 students).

There are four peer facilitators who conduct the BASICS sessions in a small group setting (five to seven students).

Referral

Students exhibiting evidence of serious alcohol or drug dependency or psychological distress at any time during the program activities will be referred to the University Counseling Center or an off-campus agency for additional assessment and psychological assistance.

Service Features

The use of peer leaders (i.e., advanced graduate students or mature students in their final undergraduate years) to conduct brief intervention is intended to provide positive modeling of safe behaviors and aimed at increasing the credibility of the BASICS message among college student peers.

The majority of project staff have bilingual capabilities.

Collaborators

  • UTEP Dean of Students office
  • UTEP Greek Life organizations
  • UTEP Athletic department
  • UTEP University Counseling Center
  • UTEP Entering Students Program
  • Aliviane
  • El Paso Community Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center
  • Border Children's Mental Health Collaborative
  • Border Research Solutions

Contact Information

Joe Tomaka, Director
University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX 79902
(915) 747-7237
jtomaka@utep.edu