Social Work Commons^™

What's In Your Cup? Increasing Transparency And Confidence In Alcohol Use Screening And Brief Intervention, Dylan C. Koundakjian

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

19% of Vermonters report drinking alcohol at levels which puts their health at risk, but many healthcare providers do not feel confident in addressing their patients' usage. This can stem from lack of experience with alcohol use, worries about stigma, and time constraints. However, data has shown that even 5-15 minute interventional conversations can significantly reduce a patient's risky drinking. This project aims to provide real-world, practical advice for having conversations around alcohol, and provides a conversion chart converting popular alcoholic beverages into standard drink equivalents.

Alcohol Screening And Brief Intervention As Standard Practice In Indian Country, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Bonnie Duran, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, Amy R. Manning

Brown School Faculty Publications

Alcohol use and the resulting problems associated with high-risk drinking in the American Indian/Native Alaskan (AI/NA) population are well-documented, as alcohol misuse has taken an incredible toll on many AI/NA communities. Presently, both overall health issues and alcohol use occur disproportionately within this population. This article provides an updated overview of the impact of alcohol use in the United States and within AI/NA communities specifically. It also provides recommendations for an alcohol-related screening and brief intervention instrument that social workers can begin using in their practice and can be utilized within the AI/NA community.

Lines In The Sand: Social Representations Of Substance Use Boundaries In Life Narratives, K. F. Trocki, L. O. Michalak, Laurie A. Drabble

Faculty Publications

This study identifies social representations in interviews about alcohol and substance use in the discourse of 129 young adults, who were interviewed for 2.5 to 3.5 hr each for their life histories and use or nonuse of alcoholic beverages and drugs. Respondents spontaneously delineated their substance use boundaries, creating a continuum of behaviors with boundary points separating acceptable from unacceptable behaviors. They used signaling expressions to indicate go and stop signs and movement along the substance use continuum and reported negotiating substance use boundaries both internally and with peers. A ubiquitous narrative element was the cautionary tale, in which a …

Substance Abuse Treatment Utilization Among Adults Living With Hiv/Aids And Alcohol Or Drug Problems, John Orwat, Richard Saitz, Christopher Tompkins, Debbie Cheng, Michael Dentato, Jeffrey Samet

Michael P. Dentato, PhD, MSW

Strengthening Family Practices For Latino Families, Karen G. Chartier, Lirio K. Negroni, Michie N. Hesselbrock

Social Work Publications

The study examined the effectiveness of a culturally-adapted Strengthening Families Program (SFP) for Latinos to reduce risks for alcohol and drug use in children. Latino families, predominantly Puerto Rican, with a 9–12 year old child and a parent(s) with a substance abuse problem participated in the study. Pre- and post-tests were conducted with each family. Parental stress, parent-child dysfunctional relations, and child behavior problems were reduced in the families receiving the intervention; family hardiness and family attachment were improved. Findings contribute to the validation of the SFP with Latinos, and can be used to inform social work practice with Puerto …

Alcohol Problems In Young Adults Transitioning From Adolescence To Adulthood: The Association With Race And Gender, Karen G. Chartier, Michie N. Hesselbrock, Victor M. Hesselbrock

Social Work Publications

Race and gender may be important considerations for recognizing alcohol related problems in Black and White young adults. This study examined the prevalence and age of onset of individual alcohol problems and alcohol problem severity across race and gender subgroups from a longitudinal study of a community sample of adolescents followed into young adulthood (N = 166; 23–29 yrs. old who were drinkers). All alcohol problems examined first occurred when subjects were in their late teens and early 20s. Drinking in hazardous situations, blackouts, and tolerance were the most common reported alcohol problems. In race and gender comparisons, more …

Prevalence, Nature, Context And Impact Of Alcohol Use In India: Recommendations For Practice And Research, S. Prabhu, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, K. S. Ratheeshkumar

Brown School Faculty Publications

Presently alcohol policy in India takes a moral stand rather than a scientific approach towards understanding and dealing with the problem of alcoholism. To effectively address this social problem in India, public policy must take into account the nature, extent of the problem and the context in which it occurs. This literature review examines the nature, prevalence and impact of alcohol use and misuse in India, within its historical and cultural contexts, as a beginning step to inform policy. Recommendations for practice and future research directions are suggested.

Alcohol, Tobacco, And Pharmaceutical Industry Funding: Considerations For Organizations Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender Communities, Laurie A. Drabble

Faculty Publications

Emerging research suggests that alcohol, tobacco and drug-related problems may be higher in lesbian and gay communities than in the population as a whole. At the same time, alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries have increased marketing strategies that are targeted specifically to lesbian and gay communities. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) and HTV/AIDS organizations, often marginalized and under-funded, have frequently faced significant challenges in funding programs and special events. These organizations are often the very same groups needed to promote and support effective substance abuse countermeasures in LGBT communities. Agency leaders, community members, and substance abuse prevention advocates all …