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Federal grant awarded to expand successful alcohol-education effort

10 January 2009, 10:29 am

The grant, which covers a two-year period, will enable the campus’s Alcohol and Drug Program and its Gevirtz Graduate School of Education to expand and enhance the College Alcohol and Substance Education (CASE) program developed at UCSB. The grant also includes funds to prepare a comprehensive manual on the program and conduct additional research on its effectiveness.

UC Santa Barbara has been awarded a $300,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Education in support of its program to prevent high-risk drinking among college students.

The grant, which covers a two-year period, will enable the campus’s Alcohol and Drug Program and its Gevirtz Graduate School of Education to expand and enhance the College Alcohol and Substance Education ( CASE ) program developed at UCSB. The grant also includes funds to prepare a comprehensive manual on the program and conduct additional research on its effectiveness.

Combining alcohol education and counseling, the CASE program targets underage drinking and aims to help students develop the skills needed to reduce drinking and make safer choices.

In accordance with federal, state and local laws and ordinances, UCSB’s policies prohibit “unlawful drinking, excessive drinking and drunkenness” in campus residence halls. Participation in the CASE program is mandated for UCSB students who violate the residence halls’ “no use” alcohol policy and those who are cited or arrested in Isla Vista for public intoxication, minor in possession of alcohol, or possession of fake identification. The program utilizes a psycho-educational approach delivered to groups of students over the course of five sessions. CASE clinicians use educational strategies to address key developmental issues associated with college-age students and alcohol use.

Ian Kaminsky, a psychologist at the UCSB Student Health Service who directs the Alcohol and Drug Program, said the CASE program was designed to help students “appreciate the risks involved in alcohol and drug use and equip them with effective strategies for reducing risk and harm.”

With the new grant funding, he added, UCSB will increase both the size of the CASE counseling staff and the number of group programs conducted per year, and reduce the size of the groups to a maximum of 10 participants. In addition, the grant will fund the development of a manual on the program that will be made available to other colleges and universities. The manual will include information on the program’s strategies, assessments, and logistics. It also will suggest ways to obtain institutional commitment for a mandated program, and recommend policies that can maximize the effectiveness of such a program. “We hope that, through the manual, this program will serve as a model that other colleges can use to address the challenging issue of underage drinking,” said Kaminsky.

The new grant will also support additional research on the program’s effectiveness in reducing high-risk drinking. An initial evaluation found that students who had completed the CASE program significantly reduced the number of drinks consumed per week and the number of incidents of intoxication.

“Our preliminary studies of the CASE program suggest that it decreases alcohol use and increases use of harm-reduction strategies by students,” said Merith Cosden, a professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology at UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, who heads the program’s research and evaluation component. “Assessments used as part of the program have also been able to identify those students whose drinking is more severe, and provide alternative services to them. I am looking forward to being able to study the impact of the program in greater depth.”

Media Newswire

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Lancaster: Littledale Hall

7 January 2009, 10:51 am

Littledale Hall, Lancaster
Therapeutic community providing services to people have been affected by their substance misuse.

About us:

Littledale Hall offers a safe, supportive environment within which people can address emotional, psychological, and social issues linked to their substance misuse. People who join Littledale Hall are encouraged to empower themselves to achieve the following objectives:

# work with other members of the community as active participants in their own treatment
# face and work on issues that may stop them living full, active, substance free lives
# develop and, where possible, restore positive family relationships and social networks

Treatment is entirely voluntary. No-one will be made to stay in the community against their will. Those most likely to benefit from the programme will demonstrate motivation to address their problems whilst living in a community and cooperating with others. Central to the approach at Littledale Hall is the belief that:

# people who are active in their own treatment are more likely to make and sustain changes to address their substance misuse.
# the therapeutic community offers an opportunity to develop and maintain a positive living environment that supports residents to change
# the responsibility for treatment is shared by staff and residents.

Littledale offers a robust knowledge based (psychosocial) approach to treatment. Staff at Littledale Hall believe it is important all community members are clear about the way the programme works and the importance of both meeting individual needs and working with the whole community. We provide a culture that offers people the support they need to progress through treatment. The knowledge based programme is grounded in Haigh’s (1999) work. This model highlights the importance of a staged approach to treatment:

The programme is built around five stages and 12 key elements. Some elements are core, which means all residents will be expected to take part in these. Other elements are available to all residents but may not be accessed by everyone. These programme elements will be discussed with individual residents and decisions incorporated into care plans.

Residents are supported as they progress through the stages associated with the programme. These are:

# Belonging – being connected to the community
# Safety – this is about boundaries, rules and support to ensure the community feels like a safe place to be
# Openness – this is about appropriate communication between members of the community
# Participation and Citizenship – being more actively involved with others in treatment (recognising and respecting our own, and others, needs and rights)
# Empowerment – this is about knowing yourself, making realistic decisions about your life and taking account of other people who may be affected by your choices and decisions.

Contact Details:

Littledale Hall
Littledale
Lancaster
Lancashire
LA2 9EY

Telephone: 01524 771400

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Issues that Lead Teens to Alcohol and Drug Abuse

3 January 2009, 10:14 am

This weekend’s premiere of "American Teen" helps bring attention to issues that frequently find youths 18 and over coming to America’s leading alcohol and drug rehab, SouthCoast Recovery to find treatment, sobriety, and a new view on life.

The idea that it takes years to become addicted and hit bottom is merely that – an idea. The vision of an older man teetering on the street in soiled rags clutching a bottle is an outdated perception and a microscopic percentage of the overall population that struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. The truth is the majority of people who are addicted to drugs or struggling with alcoholism are younger – much younger. In fact, 90% of the clients that enter the doors of SouthCoast Recovery, California’s leading drug and alcohol treatment center, are under the age of 25.

"American Teen", directed by Nanette Burstein and premiering this weekend, is a realistic portrayal of teenagers in the Midwest dealing with the adult themes of drugs, alcohol and sex. A hit at the 2008 Sundance Independent film festival, "American Teen" follows the lives of four Indiana high school seniors as they navigate the channels of stereotyped roles, peer pressure and struggle to find where they belong.

It is precisely these two elements – peer pressure and the need to belong – that lead many teenagers to drug and alcohol abuse. Research shows that the younger a person is when they start drinking or using, the greater likelihood he or she will become addicted to alcohol or drugs. Odds escalate for teenagers who begin experimenting under the age of 15. Contrary to popular belief, alcohol or drug dependency does not always take years to develop. The potency of street drugs like meth (methamphetamines, crystal meth, crank) and heroin can lead to instant addiction with devastating results.

Many teenagers and young people in their 20s that enter the doors of SouthCoast Recovery struggle with the idea of lifelong sobriety at such a young age. Yet the disease of addiction is not selective – it affects people of all ages, sex, race and culture on a global scale. SouthCoast Recovery is proud to be nation’s foremost drug and alcohol rehab center fighting the war against addiction with specialized 30, 60, 90-day and 6 month residential treatment programs in southern California. SouthCoast Recovery has eight residential homes throughout Orange County, and offers the finest clinical and medical care available with advanced holistic treatment methods and individualized attention for overall well-being. One-on-one clinical therapy, acupuncture and massage as well as educational modules and 12-step support all designed to work in a synergistic manner, helping teens, young people and adults get sober and stay sober.

Recovery from drug and alcohol addiction isn’t easy, but it is possible and a majority of the staff members at SouthCoast Recovery have suffered from addiction and now stand as a testament to an individual’s ability to break free. SouthCoast Recovery offers specialized programs for those 18 and over that need help to recover from addiction.

SouthCoast Recovery

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Don’t turn your big night out into a big nightmare: Drinkaware urges New Year’s Eve revellers

1 January 2009, 11:43 am

The Drinkaware Trust (Drinkaware) – the UK charity which aims to reduce alcohol harm – is encouraging the nation to make sure that, this year, your New Year’s Eve party is ‘literally’ memorable.

Drinkaware CEO, Chris Sorek, said adults of all ages need to be aware of the dangers of overdoing it on the biggest party night of the year.

“We urge New Year’s Eve revellers to remember that excessive drinking opens you up to accidents, injuries and even alcohol poisoning, any of which can potentially ruin the start of your New Year.

“We are not telling people to avoid drinking this New Year’s Eve – we’re simply saying that by drinking in moderation people can avoid turning their big night out into a big nightmare.”

To make this New Year’s Eve a night to remember, Drinkaware has compiled some practical tips for people to consider:

* Avoid drinking on an empty stomach – food slows down the absorption of alcohol
* Pace yourself, there’s no rush – drink slowly
* Include soft drinks in your celebration
* Don’t leave yourself vulnerable – plan your journey home
* Look out for your friends

Mr Sorek has also made a special plea to younger drinkers, many of whom may be experiencing their first New Year’s Eve as ‘adults.’

“First time New Year’s revellers are in a high risk group. They attend parties or go to nightclubs where their older peers may be more experienced drinkers,” said Mr Sorek.

“What many teenagers don’t understand is that the younger they are the quicker alcohol is processed by their bodies and therefore fewer units need to be drunk in order to have an effect.”

Drinkaware

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