AlcoholFocus: Is an engaging, personalized alcohol abuse education and prevention program oriented toward all incoming students as a required part of a freshman experience course, or an elective student health resource.

It is designed to educate college students about the physical, emotional, and social consequences of excessive drinking using motivational interviewing techniques and a harm reduction approach. The goals of the program are to help students make better decisions about drinking, understand how alcohol affects the body (blood alcohol level, alcohol poisoning), suggest ways to avoid excessive drinking, address alcohol addiction, discuss the risks of alcohol abuse (sexual assault, etc), learn how to deal with friends/classmates that drink, and how to approach friends who might be dealing with an alcohol problem.

How Does It Work?

Students progress through a series of stages each including structured, interactive content and activities that are enhanced with flash technology, video and audio components. For each step, students will be asked to complete one or more self-tests, read a number of psychoeducational articles, participate in eSessions (interactive self-guided activities using a cognitive-behavioral framework to teach life skills and stress reduction techniques), and complete "homework" assignments consisting of behavioral activities or daily monitoring journals completed throughout the week between online sessions.

Assessment Is Key

Prior to beginning the program, students complete tests about their preexisting knowledge, behavior, and attitudes. After completing each step, a quiz to assess acquired knowledge will be administered. Students must earn a 80% in order to progress to the next step. If students fail to complete required activities or do not pass the quiz, they will be required to engage in the step's content again including additional, new material. After finishing all the steps of the program, students complete a reassessment of their knowledge, behavior, and attitudes. Students receive a certificate of completion and administrators are notified.

Features:

• Pre- and Post-Program Assessment
• Psychoeducational Article Content
• Self-Tests
• eSessions - Self-Improvement Interactive Modules
• Homework Activities