BASICS and CASICS

What is BASICS and CASICS?

BASICS stands for Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students. CASICS stands for Cannabis Screening and Intervention for College Students. These programs are offered for all Ramapo College students who may want to explore their alcohol and drug use, but the goal of the program is to reduce risky behaviors and harmful consequences of alcohol or cannabis abuse.

BASICS and CASICS are not “Just Say No” or abstinence-only programs. The program is designed to assist students in examining their own behavior in a judgment-free environment. The BASICS/CASICS facilitator* will provide objective feedback, based on an interview and questionnaires filled out by the student, in order to encourage positive changes in behavior. Essentially, BASICS/CASICS will provide the information and guidance, but what a student chooses to do with it is entirely up to them.

Who can use BASICS/CASICS?

Some students attend BASICS/CASICS to fulfill an alcohol or cannabis related offense, while others may come because they have concerns about their alcohol or cannabis use. BASICS/CASICS is appropriate for anyone who uses alcohol or cannabis in a high-risk manner, especially if you are concerned about your alcohol or cannabis use and how it compares to other students.

How do I participate in BASICS/CASICS?

Students that are self-referring, or want to simply learn more about alcohol and other drugs, can participate by calling Counseling Services (201-684-7522) and scheduling an appointment with an SUD counselor.

What is the BASICS/CASICS process?

Both are delivered over the course of a minimum of two 1-hour interviews with the BASICS/CASICS facilitator.  The first interview, preceded by an in-person and/or an on-line assessment (E-CHECKUP) gathers information about the student’s recent alcohol, cannabis, and/or other drug consumption patterns, personal beliefs about alcohol or other drugs, and substance use history, while providing instructions for self-monitoring any drinking/cannabis use between sessions.

This information is used to develop a customized feedback profile used in the second interview, which compares personal alcohol, cannabis, and/or other drug use with alcohol, cannabis, and/or other drug use norms, reviews individualized negative consequences and risk factors, clarifies perceived risks and benefits of drinking/using cannabis, and provides options to assist in making changes to decrease or abstain from alcohol, cannabis, and/or other drug use.

Sources:

Dimeff, L.A., Baer, J.S., Kivlahan, D.R., Marlatt, G.A., (1999) Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS): A harm reduction Approach. New York: The Guilford Press.

BASICS is listed on the SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.