BASICS

BASICS stands for Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students. The goal of the BASICS program is to reduce risky behaviors and harmful consequences relating to alcohol misuse.

BASICS is NOT a "Just Say No" or “anti-drinking” program. The BASICS Coach will offer objective advice, based on E-Chug, an online alcohol assessment thatprovides the student with accurate, detailed, and personalized feedback on their relationship with alcohol.

BASICS provides an opportunity to assess one’s own risk and discusspotential changes that could help reduce the risk for developing futurehealth, safety, and/or academic problems.

When a student is referred to BASICS, the Coach will provide documentation of program completion upon obtaining a release of information form. Assessmentresults or personal information shared during the BASICS sessions will not be disclosed.

BASICS sessions are entirely confidential. The BASICS Coach will not disclose any information from the sessions to anyone without written permission from the student.

BASICS sessions are one-on-one meetings between the BASICS Coach and the student. It takes two sessions, typically 4 weeks apart, to successfully complete theBASICS program. Prior to attending Session I, the student must complete an online E-chug alcohol assessment and bring the following information with them to Session I:

• E-Chug Entry Number: http://interwork.sdsu.edu/echug2/NIU/
• Printed copy of E-Chug assessment result (including estimatedaverage BAC information)

Session I: takes approximately 60 minutes. During this session, the student meets their BASICS Coach and is oriented to the program. The student reviews their E-Chug feedback profile with their BASICS Coach and, if appropriate, identifies potential changes that could work to help reduce his/her risk for developing future alcohol related problems. The student will depart from this meeting with a plan to decrease alcohol consumption.

Session II: takes approximately 45 minutes. The student will discuss his/her progress and behavior change since session I. Guidance and recommendations will be discussed regarding maintaining a healthy relationship with alcohol.

The BASICS Coach is not a licensed counselor. The Coach offers guidance from an education-based approach and has a background in health education, student development theory, and training in education-based alcohol assessment and feedback.