Resources | Alcohol & Drugs

Local Area Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse/Dependency Assessment and Treatment

Additional Residential Chemical Dependency Treatment Centers in Oregon

Lifeworks Mountaindale | 503-647-0165
Milestones Family Recovery Program (Corvallis) | 503-753-2230
Day Break (Vancouver) | 503-750-9588
Northwest Behavioral Health (Gladstone) | 503-722-4470

Recovery Support

Alcoholics Anonymous
To find a group in you area: 503-223-8569

SMART Recovery
(Self Management and Recovery Training)

Narcotics Anonymous
Portland Area | 503-727-3733

Alanon/Alateen
A resource for people who love someone who has a problem with alcohol. They provide support groups and other resources.

Additional Resources and Information

Student Health Center | 503-352-2269
Student Counseling Center | 503-352-2191
Campus Wellness | 503-352-2273

University Education Initiatives

BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention of College Students)

Note: Please be advised that the BASICS program requires two one-hour appointments, scheduled approximately 2 weeks apart. There are limited appointment times available. Therefore, it is best to schedule your BASICS appointments as soon as you have received the sanction in order to ensure completion by the sanction deadline.

BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and intervention of College Students) is a preventive intervention program for college students 18 to 24 years old. It is aimed at students who drink alcohol heavily and have either experienced or are at risk for alcohol-related problems such as poor class attendance, missed assignments, accidents, and violence. BASICS is appropriate for any student who uses alcohol, especially those curious about their drinking. BASICS provides an opportunity to assess individual use patterns, identify potential changes, and discuss ideas to help reduce the risk of future problems.

The brief intervention relies primarily on a motivational interview to provide students with the skills, knowledge, and insight into the consequences of drinking. Studies have evaluated various applications of BASICS and found promising results. One such evaluation found that the BASICS intervention had an impact on various drinking behaviors, such as drinking quantity and perception of drinking consequences, as much as four years after program completion. Follow-up assessments over a two-year period showed significant reductions in both drinking rates and harmful consequences for students who received the intervention. Program impacts did not vary by gender, parental history of alcoholism, conduct disorder history, or student residence type.

Students often conform to patterns of heavy drinking they see as acceptable while holding false beliefs about actual alcohol-use norms or alcohol’s effects. BASICS is designed to help students make better alcohol-use decisions. The program’s style is not confrontational or judgmental, and it aims to:

Reduce the adverse effects of alcohol consumption
Promote reduced drinking
Promote healthier choices among young adults
Provide important information and coping skills for risk reduction.

The Pacific University Student Counseling Center offers the BASICS Program for students mandated to participate by the Office of Student Conduct.

Note: Completion of the BASICS program includes an initial self-assessment questionnaire, 2 one-hour individual sessions with a trained counselor (2 weeks between sessions), and completion of two additional brief measures to evaluate drinking patterns and personal readiness to change (completed between sessions 1 and 2). A fee will be assessed for this program.

Before the first interview, the student receives a self-report questionnaire to complete. From the questionnaire and the first interview, information is gathered about the student’s alcohol and other substances consumption patterns, personal beliefs about alcohol and other substances, impact of use, additional factors that may influence use, and family history.

The second interview, which occurs approximately 2 weeks after the initial interview, provides the student with a personalized feedback report related to their beliefs about alcohol’s effects, information on alcohol norms, options for reducing future risks associated with their personal alcohol use choices, and a menu of options to assist in making desired changes when they are ready to do so. This dialogue includes, but is not limited to, feedback on drinking, BAC, comparisons with other drinkers, norms, personal risks, tolerance level, and moderation tips. Students work with treatment providers to develop personal goals to reduce risks.

By utilizing mental health professionals, we are able to identify and address mood and relationship concerns, cultural considerations, and family context.

As a harm reduction approach, BASICS explores students’ motivation to reduce risky behaviors. It can be implemented in a variety of settings, including university health and mental health centers, residential units, and administrative offices. Students can be identified through routine screening or through referral from medical, housing, or disciplinary services.

BASICS has been evaluated and found to be effective with non-treatment-seeking students in large, traditional university settings but may be tailored for use with young adults in other settings. Because of its demonstrated effectiveness, it has been identified as a Model Program by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. BASICS was developed with the support of research grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to Dr. G. Alan Marlatt at the University of Washington.

For more about BASICS, see Linda Dimeff et al. Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS): A Harm Reduction Approach. NY: Guilford, 1999.

Required Alcohol Education Course

Pacific University requires new students to participate in 3rd Millennium’s “Alcohol-Wise” and “Consent and Respect” online courses to reduce risk for new students and positively impact campus culture.

When implemented effectively, “Alcohol-Wise" educates students about the harmful effects of alcohol, raises retention rates, and acts as a prevention tool for future alcohol-related violations. “Alcohol-Wise" clarifies personal choices about drinking habits and attitudes, and how alcohol can affect academic progress and social behavior.

"Consent & Respect" is a brief online course that provides college students with facts about sexual assault, consent, intimate partner violence, and stalking, warning signs of abusive behavior, the role of men as advocates, and safe and positive options that will empower bystanders in potentially high-risk situations.

Both courses are tailored for each user. Students receive personalized feedback and access to self-referral tools, as well as pre- and post-course assessments to provide measurements of behavior change and knowledge gained.

Sanctioned Online Education Courses

Pacific University also utilizes 3rd Millennium’s “Under the Influence” and “Marijuana 101” online educational courses as outcomes for violations of University policy related to alcohol and marijuana, respectively. Both courses are tailored to each user. Students receive a confidential and personalized profile that summarizes marijuana- or alcohol-related use and negative consequences, compares individual use with social norms, challenges personal expectations, provides a range of strategies to quit, and provides a range of substance-free strategies.

In Marijuana 101, six lessons cover a variety of key issues such as marijuana dependence, effects of marijuana, mental health issues, synthetic marijuana, local laws, legalization issues, and legal penalties associated with use.

In Under the Influence, the course includes seven lessons on key issues such as effects on health, drinking and driving, state-specific laws, and alcohol/prescription interactions.

Both courses are consistently updated with the latest and strongest drug and alcohol research available.

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Alcohol & Other Drugs