Alcohol Screening at the
University of Wyoming
MARYANNE JACONIS, M.S.
LENA NEWLIN, M.P.H., C.H.E.S.
DAVE COZZENS, PH.D.
CHARLIE KSIR, PH.D.
MIKE DORSSOM, M.A.
Agenda
 Background & Context: University of Wyoming
 PDSA Cycles
 Results
 Challenges
 Future Directions
University of Wyoming
 Public land grant university
 Only 4-year institution of higher education in
Wyoming
 Approximately 13,000 students
 Located in southeast corner of Wyoming, in
Laramie, population 31,000.
Alcohol Concerns at UW
Students who don’t drink
Students who report alcohol is
negatively affecting academics
Students binge drinking within
past two weeks
Students driving after having 5
or more drinks in past 30 days
UW
NCHA
Data
2001
18.1%
13.6%
UW
NCHA
Data
2011
15.1%
6.4%
Reference
Group
Data 2011
45.7%
42.6%
34.1%
17.4%
3.6%
3.1%
21.3%
4.4%
Sources: National College Health Assessment, Spring 2001, Spring 2011
Alcohol Concerns at UW
UW Police Department Arrests
Average BAC
Underage Consumption of Alcohol
0.144
DUI
0.131
DUI (minor)
0.101
DUI Crash BAC
0.14
Source: Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, 2011
Alcohol, Wellness Alternatives, Research, &
Education (AWARE) Program
 Harm Reduction Approach
 3-in-1 Framework: Educational Services at 3 levels
 Individual student
Mandated education for policy violators
 Evidence Based Approach: BASICS, ASTP, Motivational
Interviewing, Alcohol EDU


Student population as a whole


Alcohol EDU for all freshmen, freshmen/parent orientation, peer
education, Safe Ride, alternative late night programming, etc.
Campus and surrounding community

Coalitions (A-team, CoPSA), alcohol policies and ordinances,
Summit, NCHIP, TiPS training for local distributors, etc.
National College Health
Improvement Project (NCHIP)
 Teams from 32 colleges and universities form a
Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking
 18 months focused on evaluation and measurement
techniques to identify and implement the most
effective ways to reduce high-risk drinking
 “Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA)” Cycles
Alcohol Screening at UW
 No systematic campus-wide screening as primary
prevention
 Individual-based interventions occurred only after
an alcohol violation
 Aim: To reach students where they are already
receiving services
PDSAs for Systematic Campus-Wide Screening
Career
Services &
Advising
Psychology
Training
Clinic
Counselor
Education
Training
Clinic
Student
Health
Services
University
Counseling
Center
Systematic
CampusWide
Screening
Peer
Education
Screening Measures
 AUDIT




10 questions
Score 0-7: Low risk drinking
Score 8-18: May be experiencing or at risk of experiencing health
consequences as a result of drinking
Score 19-40: Possible alcohol dependence
 AUDIT-C




3 questions
Scale of 0-12
Positive for alcohol misuse (men) 4+
Positive for alcohol misuse (women) 3+
 Administered by:

Licensed mental health providers, graduate student trainees, medical
staff, peer educators
University Counseling Center
PDSA Cycles
Feedback
Act
Plan
Institutionalization
Feedback
Study
Do
All Clinicians for
One Year
Feedback
Feedback
All Clinicians for
One Semester
All Clinicians for
50 screenings
One Clinician
University Counseling Center:
Feedback from PDSAs
Positives
Negatives
 Easy for front office to hand out
 One more form for clients to
 Feasible to incorporate into
fill out
 Limited time
 How to do referrals?
UCC’s electronic medical records
system
 Picked up information that
clinicians may not have caught
(e.g., drinking & driving)
 Able to supplement conversation
 Gives more comprehensive
picture of what’s going on with
student
AUDIT Results
University Counseling Center
Academic Year
2011-2012
July 1, 2012 –
April 11, 2013
 400 AUDITS
 565 AUDITS
 Scored 0-7: 306 (76%)
 Score 0-7: 440 (78%)
 Scored 8-18: 79 (20%)
 Score 8-18: 95 (17%)
 Scored 19-40: 15 (4%)
 Score 19-40: 30 (5%)
AUDIT Results
Student Health Services
Spring Semester 2012
July 1, 2012-April 1, 2013
 261 AUDIT-Cs
 448 AUDIT-Cs
 Scored 0-3: 187 (72%)
 Score 0-3: 448 (73%)
 Scored 4-12: 74 (28%)
 Score 4-12: 164 (27%)
AUDIT Results
Mental Health Training Clinics
Psychology
Training Clinic
 Spring semester 2012




through April 29, 2013
45 AUDITS
Score 0-7: 38 (84%)
Score 8-18: 5 (11%)
Score 19-40: 2 (4%)
Counselor Education
Training Clinic
 Spring semester 2012
 32 AUDITS
 Score 0-7: 23 (72%)
 Score 8-18: 6 (19%)
 Score 19-40: 3 (9%)
AUDIT Results
Peer Education
Wyoming Union
Athletic Department
 March 5, 2012
 April 4, 2012
 38 AUDITS
 27 AUDITS
 Score 0-7: 25 (66%)
 Score 0-7: 22 (81%)
 Score 8-18: 13 (34%)
 Score 8-18: 4 (15%)
 Score 19-40: 0 (0%)
 Score 19-40: 1 (4%)
Overall Summary of Results
AUDIT
AUDIT-C
 Score 0-7: 76%
 Score 0-3: 72.5%
 Score 8-18: 19.3%
 Score 4-12: 27.5%
 Score 19-40: 4.3%
Following Up
 No follow-up (608)
 Advised talking with health provider (100)
 Advised to reduce drinking (37)
 Advised to stop drinking (1)
 Out-patient referral (2)
 Inpatient referral (4)
 Referral to AWARE (8)
General Challenges
 Extra time for clinicians
 More forms for clients to fill out
 Training of screeners
 Personalized feedback
 Referrals out
 Poor fit within the system (Center for Advising and Career Services)
 Inconsistent completion of recommendations by screeners
 Changes to AWARE referral system necessary
Future Directions
 Determine what are the next steps
 Increase screening locations
 Institutionalization of AUDIT and AUDIT-C screenings
across campus
 More screenings by peer educators across campus
 Continue to integrate screening as part of
comprehensive approach
Questions?
 Maryanne Jaconis, M.S.
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Psychology Department
mjaconis@uwyo.edu
 Lena Newlin, M.P.H., C.H.E.S.
AWARE Program Coordinator, Assistant Director
University Counseling Center
University of Wyoming
Phone: 307-766-2187
lnewlin@uwyo.edu