Recognition and Referral Skills for RAs - Alcohol-Drug Problems

描述(由申请人提供)：驻地助理(RAS)通常是学院或大学中第一批得知学生酗酒或滥用药物的工作人员。这个第二阶段的STTR应用程序寻求支持，以进一步开发和测试一个基于Web的程序，名为“RA Resources(RAR)-酒精-药物问题”。第五阶段，Inc.将进行这一理论驱动的研究项目，旨在加强RAS有效接触、转介和跟踪可能有酒精或其他药物问题的寄宿大学生的能力。RAR-酒精-毒品问题培训计划将具有互动功能，强调教授积极、尊重的方式，将可能有酒精或其他毒品问题的住院学生与适当的专业服务联系起来。第二阶段研究的目标是完成培训计划的两个版本的开发和评估的有效性。其中一个版本将专门专注于培训RAS。第二个版本将包括额外的功能，以培训他们的直属主管，即宿舍主任(或RHD)，以监督RAS的精神健康问题。这两个RAR版本和一个对照条件将在一项随机现场试验中进行测试，该试验涉及来自30个学院和大学校园的90名RA工作人员。这项研究将检验以下假设：(1)与对照组相比，参加任何一项培训计划的RA都会显著提高来自计划行为理论(TPB)的测量分数；(2)RAR-RHD酒精-药物问题培训计划中的RAS在TPB测量上的得分将显著高于仅参加RAR(没有RHD监督部分)的RAS；(3)与在控制条件下有RAS的住院医生相比，在任何一项RAR培训计划中有RAS的住院医生在RA支持和对RA领导力的尊重方面的得分都会更高。拟议的研究为RAS在酒精和其他毒品问题上的培训不足提供了解决方案。这项研究意义重大，因为它寻求通过更有效、更及时地将酗酒或其他毒品问题学生与治疗服务联系起来，加强和扩大校园护理网络。这种方法可能是一种有效的手段，可以向有需要的学生提供关怀，并减少与酒精和药物滥用有关的校园问题，包括学业问题、破坏公物和暴力。 与公共健康相关：针对大学驻地助理(RAS)的在线酒精药物培训计划的开发代表着一个重要的商业机会，可能会产生重要的社会效益。据我们所知，没有任何基于网络的应用程序为RAS提供培训，以识别和转介可能有酒精和其他药物问题的寄宿学生。尽管酒精和毒品问题在本科生中很普遍，但美国校园和许多机构对这些问题的RA培训现状并不一致，严重不足。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Resident assistants (RAs) are often the first staff members at a college or university to learn that a student is engaged in alcohol or other drug abuse. This Phase II STTR application seeks support to further develop and test a web-based program called "RA Resources (RAR) - Alcohol-Drug Problems." Phase 5, Inc. will conduct this theory-driven research project designed to strengthen RAs' ability to effectively approach, refer, and follow-up with residential college students who may have alcohol or other drug problems. The RAR - Alcohol-Drug Problems training program will have interactive features that emphasize teaching positive, respectful ways to link resident students who may have an alcohol or other drug problem with appropriate professional services. The goal of Phase II research is to complete development and evaluate the effectiveness of two versions of the training program. One version will focus exclusively on training RAs. A second version will include additional features to train their immediate supervisors, i.e., residence hall directors (or RHDs), to supervise RAs on mental health issues. These two RAR versions and a control condition will be tested in a randomized field trial involving 90 RA staffs from 30 college and university campuses. The study will test the following hypotheses: (1) compared to controls, RA participation in either training program will significantly increase scores on measures derived from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB); (2) RAs in the RAR-RHD Alcohol-Drug Problems training program will have significantly greater scores on TPB measures compared to those in the RAR only (no RHD supervision component); (3) resident students with RAs in either of the RAR training program will have greater scores on measures of RA support and respect for RA leadership, compared to those residents with RAs in the control condition. The proposed research offers a solution to the problems associated with inadequate training of RAs on alcohol and other drug issues. The research is significant because it seeks to strengthen and extend campus networks of care by linking students with alcohol or other drug problems to treatment services in a more effective and timely manner. The approach may be an effective means of extending care to students in need as well as to reduce campus problems associated with alcohol and drug abuse, including academic problems, vandalism, and violence. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The development of an online alcohol-drug training program for college resident assistants (RAs) represents a significant commercial opportunity and one that could produce important societal benefits. We are not aware of any web-based application that provides training for RAs to recognize and refer residence hall students who may have alcohol and other drug problems. Although alcohol and drug problems are prevalent in the undergraduate population, the current state of RA training on these issues is inconsistent across America's campuses and at many institutions is woefully inadequate.