“[BASICS] was helpful and had some cool information. Nothing to be scared about. Completely cool procedure and helpful for learning techniques and making smarter decisions.â€
BASICS is appropriate for anyone who wants to have a conversation about their use--or nonuse--of substances. Any ¶¶Òõ̽̽ student is welcome to participate in BASICS at no cost. Some students are required to attend as part of an athletic team or fraternity and sorority life chapter, other students attend as a result of a conduct violation, and some attend because they simply want to discuss their substance use in a supportive and non-judgemental environment.
BASICS is not an abstinence only program and you will not automatically be told to stop using substances. In BASICS you will get information invited into a discussion about what is right for you so you can get support in considering what is working or how to make changes.
Topics covered in BASICS sessions may include:
- Personalized blood alcohol content (BAC) information
- Brain functioning
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Social norms and patterns
Types of BASICS
Group BASICS
Team BASICS
All ¶¶Òõ̽̽ varsity athletics teams are required to participate in the BASICS program. Team BASICS discusses alcohol and substance use with an intentional focus on team dynamics and norms. Each team member takes a survey about their substance use and then the BASICS coordinators meet with the entire team together as a group to participate in a 90-minute program.
BASICS for Fraternity and Sorority Life
All new members joining a ¶¶Òõ̽̽ sorority or fraternity are required to participate in the BASICS program. BASICS for FSL discusses alcohol and substance use with an intentional focus on chapter culture and norms. Each new member takes a survey about their substance use and then the BASICS coordinators meet with all new members together as a group to participate in a 90-minute program.
Individual BASICS
Students participating in BASICS first take an online survey about their substance use and then sign up for a 60-minute session with a BASICS provider to receive their personalized survey feedback.
History and successes
“I cut down both my alcohol and marijuana consumption. I also stopped smoking before going to bed.â€
BASICS has been implemented on almost 1000 campuses since 1992 and is based on conducted at the University of Washington and Western Washington University. ¶¶Òõ̽̽ has used BASICS since 2013 to engage in productive conversations about alcohol and other substance use. The successes of the program include:
- Many students have reduced their use as reported in a 3 months follow up.12 months after participating in BASICS those reductions remain.
- Almost all students report having a positive experience with BASICS.
- Students score BASICS a 9.2/10 when asked if they felt respected during their sessions.