To determine the extent and nature of alcohol screening and referral services provided by college health centers, the authors conducted a state-stratified, random sampling of 25% of 327 4-year accredited US colleges and universities with health centers. Of the 249 survey respondents, 32% routinely screened students for alcohol use. Urban, public,…

Professional counselors and counselors-in-training continue to serve clients who have substance abuse issues, yet systematic training in substance abuse counseling is not available to many counselors. The authors investigated the extent to which students in programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational…

This paper provides a brief overview of current conditions and prospects for increased access to mental health and substance abuse services among rural minorities. First, it addresses challenges in ensuring rural minorities access to needed services. Second, it considers steps to increase rural minority participation in the mental health and…

Substance use develops along distinct pathways during adolescence. This chapter describes an approach to testing how prevention programs may influence these pathways. (Contains 1 figure.)

Ethical conduct should inspire a quality of behavior that exemplifies honor and dignity for oneself. In a school district, teachers, administrators, staff, and school board members should understand the importance of ethical conduct in the educational arena. An effective educational organization entails the need of individuals maintaining…

The Annual Report of the North Dakota Higher Education Consortium for Substance Abuse Prevention (NDHECSAP) indicates the extent to which prevention services on North Dakota (ND) campuses assist in harm reduction and student retention. Recently a number of national studies have indicated increased attention to collegiate high-risk drinking and the…

In Minnesota treatment, the therapists aim at breaking clients' denial to encourage them to accept their addiction. However, the confrontation is risky since, instead of making the patient ready for a change, it may strengthen resistance against the diagnosis of addiction and the treatment recommendations. We will explore the role of laughter in…

Purpose: The feasibility of a community-level drug prevention intervention based upon the principles of motivational interviewing within a further education college was investigated in a pilot study. Design/methodology/approach: The implementation over the course of a single term of "Let's Talk about Drugs" was studied with both action…

Evaluated impact of motivational enhancement (ME) of substance abuse treatment compared to relaxation training (RT) on sex without condoms (overall and involving substance use) 3 months following release among incarcerated adolescents. This randomized clinical trial involved 114 incarcerated adolescents from the Northeast. Regression analyses…

The relationship of diagnosis, developmentally relevant factors (e.g., life stress, peer substance use) and mental health symptoms to contexts of a return to substance use were examined for 103 substance abusing adolescents with Axis I psychopathology (ages 12-17) following inpatient treatment. Proximal psychiatric symptoms and developmentally…

This study used Complier Average Causal Effect analysis (CACE; see G. Imbens & D. Rubin, 1997) to examine the impact of an adaptive approach to family intervention in the public schools on rates of substance use and antisocial behavior among students ages 11-17. Students were randomly assigned to a family-centered intervention (N = 998) in 6th…

The current study explored the associations between activity-based identity experiences and youth outcomes. Participants were 107 high school students and one parent or guardian of each from three communities in a Northeastern state. Youth completed a measure of activity-based identity experiences (Personally Expressive Activities Questionnaire…

This study examined the relationships between social network position and the use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants in a sample of 1,119 sixth-grade youth. Social network analyses of peer nominations were used to categorize youth as "members" of social groups, "liaisons" between groups, or social "isolates." The results revealed that…

Although behavioral risk factors such as substance use have been hypothesized to increase women's vulnerability to sexual victimization, prospective studies provide mixed empirical support. In the current prospective study, the authors considered substance use, sexual activity, and sexual assertiveness as predictors of sexual victimization from…

This bulletin presents research on why youth join gangs and how a community can build gang prevention and intervention services. The author summarizes recent literature on gang formation and identifies promising and effective programs for gang prevention. The following are some key findings: (1) Youth join gangs for protection, enjoyment, respect,…