Northeastern University

Program Description

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), is funding Northeastern University (NEU) $500,000 per year for 3 years to integrate screening and brief intervention into current health services and identify at-risk students through outreach to all students.

Campus Description

NEU is a private university located in Boston, Massachusetts with an enrollment of approximately 24,000 students, including 14,600 undergraduates and 3,000 incoming freshmen. A 2006 survey of a representative sample of 1,070 NEU undergraduate students indicated that 58 percent of students participated in binge drinking in the 2 weeks prior to the survey; 38 percent of the students scored positive on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and 52 percent on the CRAFFT (Car, Relax, Alone, Forget, Family/Friends, Trouble) screen. Further, 40 percent of students reported using marijuana in the previous year; 21 percent reported using marijuana in the last month.

Program Model

Screening

Universal self-report screening is conducted among all students who receive services at the NEU Student Health and Counseling Services (UHCS) using the CRAFFT screen, which includes six questions on drug and alcohol use and has been validated in adolescent populations. Students who score 2 or more are referred to the intervention.

Outreach for self-referrals has included advertising on campus, in dormitories, and through campus organizations.

Brief Intervention

Two nurse interventionists conduct brief interventions (two 45-minute sessions) using Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), which was adapted to include drug use. The nurse interventionists are project-funded and work as full-time clinical staff at UHCS.

Referral

Students who have severe alcohol and drug problems or dependence or other mental health problems are referred to NEU UHCS counselors or external collaborating treatment programs.

Service Features

The NEU program employs a comprehensive campus-wide approach based on recommendations from the Challenging College Alcohol Abuse (CCAA) Program using the following elements: BASICS individual intervention, a social marketing campaign, environmental management, and training for faculty and student peer leaders. Student input and participation are via student advisory group, focus groups, student organizations, and student research staff.

Collaborators

• NEU Institute on Urban Health Research
• NEU University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS)
• NEU Enrollment Management and Student Life Offices
• NEU Alcohol and Drug Prevention Program
• Deans of academic units
• Key student organizations
• Boston Public Health Commission
• Boston Medical Center Psychiatry Department
• Fenway Community Health Center
• Martha Elliot Community Health Center
• Whittier Street Health Center

Contact Information

Hortensia Amaro, Project Director
Northeastern University
Institute on Urban Health Research
360 Huntington Avenue
Stearns Center, Suite 503
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 373-7601
h.amaro@neu.edu