The Office of the Dean of Students is offering a remote, staff-centered training that focuses on the skills necessary for talking with students about alcohol and cannabis use.

The Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment training will model similar programs like the Queer Ally Coalition, Dreamer Ally and Suicide Prevention Team.

The first class will be led via the Zoom videoconferencing platform by prevention services staff and is scheduled for Friday, May 15, from 1 to 5 p.m. Organizers plan to offer the training each term, including summer.

“We know that if they want to talk, students will most likely go to someone they are close to and have a good relationship with,” said Alexis Drakatos, substance abuse prevention coordinator.

Drakatos said numerous faculty and staff members can benefit from the class, including anyone with a supervisory, advising or mentoring role with students.

“It could be a community director in housing, or it could be a professor who has office hours and notices a difference in a student’s performance,” Drakatos said. “Anyone who has one-on-one interactions with students has capacity for this training.”

The evidence-based training was developed by Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, known as NASPA, which makes the program available to its university partners.

“NASPA sees the value in spreading the skills across campuses for anyone who works closely with students,” Drakatos said.

Those who complete the training will receive a card that recognizes them as a substance abuse resource advocate.

“We want to identify staff that students can trust and ask for help, if they need it,” Drakatos said.

Interested participants can sign up by logging into MyTrack using their Duck ID. Signing up by May 13 would be helpful but not required, Drakatos said. The initial class size was set for an in-person training; additional slots may be available if more want to participate.

The course will examine several case studies, where participants will use a script to practice motivational interviewing and be introduced to other skills. Breakout rooms in Zoom will be used for small group discussions.

“This training will help facilitate more conversations around the use of alcohol and drugs, and make people more comfortable taking about it,” Drakatos said. “We’re excited that more staff will have the skills if students check in with them or have questions about resources.”